Weather takes toll on county's crops
By Dennis Hill
Published in News on June 25, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Tyler Whaley, field crop agent at N.C. Cooperative Extension, points out the twisted leaves that signify a corn crop is trying to conserve moisture and has been damaged by heat. "Once they look this way, they will never recover," Whaley says.
Nearly two weeks of blistering heat with little or no rain has left many Wayne County fields wilted and stunted. And if relief doesn't come soon, the corn crop, at least, will be decimated.
"We're losing yield every day," Extension Service field crop specialist Tyler Whaley said. "Tobacco can come back. It's not too far gone yet. But a lot of our corn acreage is in jeopardy."
Temperatures have reached the high 90s for days and Whaley said the effect has been to put the plants on hold when they should be aggressively growing.
"The plant is basically going into defensive mode," Whaley said. "It's conserving moisture and is unable to take in nutrients.
"Especially with corn, once you reach above 95 degrees, growth and development of the plant just shuts down," he said. "It's really starting to suffer. And right now we're in the critical window for corn."
Corn needs water and moderate temperatures in late June when it reaches its tasseling stage. At that point the plant is ready for pollination and the ears of corn begin to develop.
But if there isn't sufficient water or temperatures are too high, pollination is threatened and kernel development hurt.
"We can stand a couple of days of 95 degree weather," Whaley said. "But a consistent pattern of heat like we've had, that's the problem."
Tobacco also has been damaged. In many fields, the plants are stunted and lower leaves are drying up.
"The tobacco is starting to burn up on the bottom," Whaley said.
There are about 18,000 acres of corn planted in the county, Whaley said. And there are about 9,000 acres of tobacco. But tobacco is a much more lucrative crop.
Tobacco growers shouldn't give up hope for a decent yield yet, Whaley said. The tobacco plant is much more heat and drought tolerant than corn, he said.
"Tobacco can rebound," he said.
Whaley said farmers have to remain optimistic. Weather forecasters are calling for slightly cooler temperatures over the next few days, with highs dropping down into the upper 80s. They also are calling for possible rain.
The hot weather's effect on other crops is not yet a real concern, Whaley said. The lack of soil moisture has caused some growers to delay planting soybeans, he said. And cotton, which has just been planted in many fields, is not especially bothered by a lack of rain.
"It can take dry weather," Whaley said.
There are about 5,000 acres of land planted in cotton in the county. Soybeans account for 70,000 acres.