Corn, soybeans, green beans and other crops like it are not doing too well with all the precipitation that's been in the forecast these past few weeks, so much so that some of the crops are failing.
For June 2015, the Quincy area has received more than eight and a half inches of rain.
According to the National Weather Service, it should be right under four inches which could only mean more rain and more problems.
That's because the excess water is getting rid of nutrients that helps crops grow.
"When the soil is saturated like it is right now, it's devoid of oxygen, when the soil is devoid of oxygen, roots suffer, roots die," Mike Roegge, an Extension Educator, Local Food Systems and Small Farms, said
Crops are also not accepting nitrogen. These two elements are vital to crops.
The rainfall is also causing other problems like mold and erosion. Mold in the field can spread and may result in major loss.
Also, the rain is causing ditches, which is leaving gaping holes in the middle of fields.
Roegge says the best thing farmers can do is to hope and wait it out.
"In essence, we need two weeks of 80, 85 degree weather, sunshine and 20 mile hour winds and no rain," Roegge said.
He says it’s too early to tell if it will affect the future harvest, only time and Mother Nature will tell.
Source - http://www.connecttristates.com/
