Tobacco and wheat crops may be damaged by heavy rains
By Steve Herring
Published in News on April 26, 2017 10:07 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Wayne County Extension Service Director Kevin Johnson inspects a flooded field of corn this morning on Bartlett Road.
Some of Wayne County's tobacco and wheat crops could be damaged or lost because of this week's heavy rains. Adding to the cost associated with any losses, some farmers may have the additional expense of reapplying fertilizer.
"It was a significant rain," said Kevin Johnson, Wayne County Extension Service director. "It did happen over an 18-hour period so it wasn't like (Hurricane) Matthew where there were moments we were getting three to four inches an hour. That did help a little bit. But I have already seen some creeks getting out, and we are still assessing the problems.
"But we will have some localized crop losses from drowning. Once the tobacco roots are saturated in water, the plant is essentially lost because it doesn't have a way to get oxygen. It's drowned. We are going to have some additional applications of fertilizer that will be necessary, especially with the tobacco crop which is very expensive. There is some potential of river and creek flooding which can cause structural damage that we are worried about, but that hasn't happened yet. It is on the radar, and we are concerned."
It is too early to be more specific on the areas hardest hit and the amount of damages, but farmers are concerned, he said.
The rain has set farmers back, he said.
Johnson said he and Extension agents will be assessing the damages over the next several days.
"We needed some rain, but we didn't need this much rain," Johnson said. "Our strawberries will be OK. It is on well-drained land, it is on a ridge so it should be OK. There will be some drowning in the wheat. Even though wheat is up high and has a head, if you saturate those soils, and they can't get oxygen, those plants will die.
"So there will be some localized flooding even in wheat fields. We are going to have some loses."
The downpour left some fields in a muddy mess, although expected high temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s should help dry them out, Johnson said.
But even with that drying it will probably be about a week at best before most farmers are going to be able to get back out in their fields, he said.
"We have tobacco set in the field so there has been some loss to the row definition," he said. "They are going to want to get out there and plow it, and they are not going to be able to get out there for a week."
Farmers on sandier soils that drain more quickly will be able to get out in those fields sooner, Johnson said. But even then it will still be next week, he said.
Approximately 60 to 70 percent of the county's tobacco crop has been set, mostly over the past few weeks so they are small, he said.
The county did not experience what would be considered a "beating" rain that could included hail, which could have damaged the young plants, Johnson said.
Nor was there a tremendous amount of wind that could have damaged the plants, he said.
However, there will be some erosion, and the young plants could be covered in dirt, he said.
"The farmers are going to want to get out there and plow it," he said. "That is just a necessity to go out there and move a little dirt around."
Other tobacco plantings should not be delayed, he said.
"We have some fertilizer that was lost and is going to have to be reapplied later," he said. "We do have some farmers that are concerned about flooding, especially in the Neuse Islands area.
"We have some greenhouses that could potentially be in jeopardy if they open up Falls of the Neuse (dam) which as of right this second, they have not have opened."
They are all going to be concerned if they have already put their fertilizer out that a portion of it would be lost with more flooding, he said.
It would leach away so they would have to come back and make fertilizer adjustments and that will mean an additional cost for farmers, Johnson said.
In sandier soils in Seven Springs, Mount Olive and Dudley there will be more leaching and farmers will have to make bigger adjustments in reapplying fertilizer, he said.
Johnson said 6 inches of rain fell at his home in northern Wayne County. He said he has talked with farmers who reported anywhere between 5 to 7.5 inches of rain on their farms.
Fortunately, farmers have learned to spread out crop plantings in order to spread their risks, he said.
"If you planted it all in early April, then it will all get mature about the same time," Johnson said. "But if you spread it out over a month to a month and a half you are spreading your risks for getting some rain when the crops are pollinating."