Rains over the last several days have left plenty of water in fields.
According to Purdue Extension Agricultural Educator Phil Woolery, the standing water may be at a point that it’s now causing poor root growth. In severe cases, this amount of moisture can lead to seedling death.
He says farmers in Starke and Pulaski County are currently doing work to trench their land.
“The length that the plants can sustain being underwater depends on the temperature,” says Woolery. “So the warmer the temperature, the less time.”
In fields experiencing heavy rainfall, some farmers may dig extra ditches to help with drainage, even using pumps to help speed the flow of water.
Cooler temperatures have accompanied this week’s rainfall. That may buy a bit of time for crops to work through the moisture.
According to Woolery, standing water has been most pronounced near Francesville in Pulaski County. Ditches have been reported as overflowing in that area.
Woolery says replanting will depend on the weather.
“We’re forecast for more rain and it’s too late to replant corn,” says Woolery. “There’s still a small window for beans, but I think replanting will depend on our weather and how fast it can dry out if we can plant some beans.”
There’s a chance for additional rain on Thursday and a reduced chance on Friday. Weekend forecasts also suggest additional rain may be possible.
