Some of Iowa has been dealing with little rains and drought conditions for most of the growing season so far. Meanwhile the Southcentral into the Southeast region of Iowa, has dealt with quite the opposite. While both extremes have their pros and cons, mother nature yet again is showing us who runs the show this season. But how much rain is too much for those growing crops?
Iowa State University Extension Field Agronomist for Region 11, Clarabell Probasco talks about despite the excess amounts of rain that her region has been receiving, the crops are looking good. She mentions the rainfall at the beginning of the season caused farmers to plant late, causing the crops to be smaller and further behind than normal. She notes that as far as plant health and disease pressure goes, everything is on the right track thus far.
Probasco talks about how her region has received a good rainfall every week so far into this season. She mentions the rain started out heavy in the planting months and took a while before they got a long stretch of dry weather so the soil could finally dry out enough to plant. She says that the dry weather didn?t last long after most got their crops in, and a lot of farmers had to replant due to those weekly rainfalls. She notes that they have taken things in stride this season and are fortunate to be receiving any rain at all compared to some of the state.
While some of the state is dealing with quite a few pest and disease issues, this isn?t the case for other areas. Probasco says the pest and disease incidences have been small so far. She mentions that there is not much pressure happening for those crops, but that doesn?t mean they are in the clear for the rest of the season. She talks about the weather conditions being perfect right now for some of those damp loving pest and disease issues. She says if your field becomes infected, to get ahold of someone who can correctly identify the pest or disease and start the right treatment plan for your crops as needed.
Probasco says farmers in her region need to continue scouting throughout the growing season. She mentions that, like last year, there is a risk for those super late season pests to show up again, so keep an eye out and don?t think you are in the clear while those crops are still in the ground. She also notes that farmers need to be aware of what is going on before things start to get away from you.
For more information visit your local Iowa State University Extension website.
