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Dry conditions hurt early planted crops
 
By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Weather continues to dominate agriculture news, as a warm spring is quickly turning into a hot, dry summer. The nice spring prompted early planting, but now young crops are in need of rainfall. Tom Priddy, University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture meteorologist, has stayed busy keeping track of the conditions. He said the biggest concern right now is drought.

Much of the western portion of the state, where most row crops are produced, is dry, with some counties reaching severe drought conditions, according to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor. According to information from UK, April was one of the 10 driest and 15 warmest on record, in stark contrast to the wet April of 2011.

Even the winter months were relatively warm. The state’s wheat crop advanced faster than normal, keeping producers on the edge of their seats fearing a spring freeze. And although they got one, it wasn’t the monster freeze from 2007, which wiped out many crops, especially early fruits and vegetables.

Producers seem to have avoided that scenario, but the lack of rain may cause just as many problems. John Strang, UK horticulture specialist, said the earlier-than-normal dry conditions have primarily delayed the germination of early spring vegetable crops and resulted in some inconsistent stands. “It has reduced strawberry fruit size in plantings that weren’t irrigated, and there was a little stress in shallowly rooted small fruit crops such as blueberries,” he said.

The Kentucky grape crop took a hit in the spring, as warm weather caused earlier bud break and shoot development, said UK viticulturist Patsy Wilson. “The extent of the freeze damage varies quite a bit throughout the state,” she added. “Some growers had very little damage, while others saw extreme damage. Much of it was dependent on the specific site, cultivar and overall management practices.”
The news isn’t all bad. Strang said the strawberry crop came a month early and the dry weather improved fruit flavor. He also said the dry weather has been helpful in reducing apple scab, cedar apple rust and fire blight infections on apples, black rot on grapes and botrytis fruit rot in strawberries. As grapes go, for those who managed to avoid freeze damage, Wilson said despite several setbacks, current temperatures and the relatively low precipitation have reduced disease pressure. “We really have set the stage now for a great grape-growing season, but until the fruit has been delivered to the wineries, we’ll keep our fingers crossed,” she said.
For corn growers, the season got off to an early start thanks to the weather as nearly all the crop is in the fields. But now the young plants are in need of a drink.

That may be a problem if the dry conditions continue but Chad Lee, UK grain crops specialist, said corn seedlings do not require much water and even small rains will help. The root systems could reach deeper in the soil to get needed moisture but Lee noted that producers should scout their fields for plants showing signs of drought stress.

A UK report noted “if drought symptoms are found, producers should dig around plants that are showing these symptoms, as well as those that aren’t, to see the root system and determine whether soil compaction is playing a role in keeping the plants from water.”
If the crazy weather wasn’t enough to worry about, UK experts also warn that ticks are making an earlier arrival this year thanks to the weather.

“Winter survival was probably higher due to the mild winter, and the tick season started earlier because of the warm spring,” said Lee Townsend, UK extension entomologist.

He also said the two most common ticks in Kentucky are the lone star tick and the American dog tick.

According to information from UK extension, individuals can take several precautions to protect themselves from ticks, such as wearing light-colored clothing so ticks are easier to see. Also, repellents containing DEET or Picaradin or clothing sprays with the ingredient permethrin can be used, although the U.S.
 Environmental Protection Agency warns not to put products containing DEET “on children’s’ hands or near their eyes or mouth and to never put them on infants younger than two months.”
Other things to do would be to keep grass near wooded areas mowed and avoid places where ticks are commonly found such as tall grass, weeds, brush and forests.

5/31/2012