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Water everywhere, but not soon enough for most crops

By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. — Another record rainfall throughout much of southwestern Michigan last weekend was too little, too late for most crops.

Rainfall averaged 3-5 inches in areas of Montcalm and Kent counties, while amounts steadily increased throughout the southwestern portion of the state Sept. 12-14.

Many areas of southwestern Michigan received 7-12 inches of rainfall during that three-day period. Just over 7 inches was recorded in areas of Berrien County, while Centerville and Hickory Corners saw 11-12 inches.

“It was really variable, but there still was an awful lot of rain,” said Mike Staton, Michigan State University agricultural educator in Berrien and Van Buren counties. The rain halted fieldwork and caused some localized flooding in the southern part of the state.
Staton said the soil was saturated and some ponding was evident in fields. He said the water was receding quickly, however, and within three to four days after the rainfall, farmers were getting back into some of their fields.

“Around Centerville, the soil is very sandy,” he said. “They fared reasonably well for all of the rain they received. We had quite a bit of standing water in some areas. But, we were so dry before we got the rain that the ground has really absorbed it.

“Where you’re going to see problems is in the heavier soils and low areas where the water ran off and concentrated in those areas.”
Staton said for the most part, the rain came too late in the season to help crops. “If the corn didn’t get blown over and badly lodged, it was far enough along that it has already established a significant portion of its yield potential,” he added.

He said soybeans, however, will likely see some damage. “The rain will probably shut down what was remaining of the root system,” he said. “Later beans may fare better than the ones that were in the later green stages. It’s going to reduce some soybean yields. It’s just too late. If it had come a month ago, it would have helped.”
Bill Robb, MSU district extension dairy educator, agreed. “Most of the crops were already done,” he said. “The rain we got 10 days ago may have helped the crops, but this won’t help unless it was very late planted corn or soybeans. Guys are trying to get their silage off now and the silage is starting to dry down faster than the soils, particularly in the south.”

As of Sept. 14, farmers reported that regrowth of alfalfa got a boost from the rain, but harvest was held up by the precipitation, according to the Michigan Field Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Dry beans continued to turn and drop leaves with harvest under way before the rain. Winter wheat planting began, with some farmers planting before the rains. Storms held up sugar beet harvest.

Growers reported that rain helped relieve stressed vegetable plants, but also postponed harvesting and fieldwork. Nearly 40 percent of the state’s celery acreage remained to be harvested and many fields were flooded. Carrot and tomato harvest continued and pumpkin harvest began.

9/24/2008