High Plains Journal, KS
09-01-07
Flood waters affect farmers in northern, southern Iowa"
By Jennifer Bremer
Clean up has begun all across the state of Iowa after recent storms dumped
more than 12 inches of rain in a 24-hour period in some places and caused
flooding in many other areas across the state.
Flooding problems started in northern Iowa in the counties of Boone, Calhoun,
Cherokee, Humboldt, Palo Alto, Pocahontas and Webster early during the week
of August 20. As the week continued the flooding had spread to southern Iowa in
Appanoose, Davis, Mahaska, Wapello, Wayne and Van Buren counties.
Appanoose County, Iowa farmer Pierce Appler farms 450 acres along the
Chariton River. "About 70 acres of beans were under five-foot of water for three
days," he said. "That field is a complete loss." Appler said at his Moulton farm he
had about seven inches of rain in 24 hours and farther north his ground was
drenched with eight inches of rain. Most of his losses will be in bean fields as he
thinks the corn was up high enough to keep from being damaged.
The rains caused so much mud to collect on the soybean leaves that only stems
were left on the plants. Appler, a no-till farmer, said he will wait until after the
insurance company sees his fields to decide what to do for next year.
"I'll probably just disk the beans under about an inch in order to be able to
continue my no-till practices next year on that land without problems," he added.
Another part of Appanoose County-Rathbun Lake-had the highest rainfall total in
the state for a 24-hour period with a total of 12.3 inches. This was the fifth
highest one-day rain total ever reported in Iowa. Heavy rains has made farmers
more aware of the problems that can occur this time of year in their fields, a
problem they haven't had to face since the floods in 1993.
Soybean farmers are warned to be aware of yield lowering diseases due to the
excessive moisture. Diseases that thrive in wet weather include white mold,
which is known to cause up to 30 percent yield loss. Sudden death syndrome
(SDS) has also been increasingly reported across the state. David Wright, Iowa
Soybean Association director of contract research said it is unclear if the wet
weather is causing the increased occurrence of SDS, and he encourages
growers to be cautious when identifying the disease. "Excessive rain is not good
for Iowa soybean production," Wright said. "Saturated soils are low in oxygen.
Soil that is saturated for more than 48 hours is more likely to cause soybean
plants to abort pods and stop seed fill, which reduces yield."
More rain was expected in parts of Iowa during the last week of August and
Wright warned for producers to be on the lookout for phomopsis seed decay, a
disease that causes seeds to shrivel and robs producers of profit potential. Iowa
State University Extension Soybean Specialist Palle Pedersen said the
situation Iowa growers are currently in is unusual as they generally are dealing
with excessive rains in early spring during planting, not near harvest time.
"If your crop is completely under water it will die within 24 hours because of the
high temperatures that we are currently dealing with," he said. "However, if crops
are under six to 12 inches of water the stems will rot, the crop will lodge and seed
will rot."
Another issue that Pedersen said growers should look for is insect feeding.
Second-generation bean leaf beetles will feed on the pod so moisture can
penetrate the pod wall and the seed will then rot. Corn growers have similar
issues to deal with as excessive moisture causes root and disease problems.
Roger Elmore, Iowa State University Extension corn specialist, said corn
growers should be on the lookout for afflotoxins or mold, which can destroy grain
quality.
"Fortunately for most corn growers, the flood waters weren't high enough to
affect moisture in the ears, but there might be root or stalk problems because of
weakened plants," said Elmore.
Depending on the depth of the floodwater and the dent stage of the plants,
Elmore said farmers could have as much as 35 percent potential yield loss.
Farmers dealing with downed corn due to high winds or flooding may have
problems with lodging and a disruption of the canopy.
"Downed corn can be salvaged if it wasn't under floodwaters too long. Harvest
will be a slow process in those fields and farmers need to pick those fields
sooner rather than later," Elmore added. Longer-term problems in flooded fields
may include erosion and potential nitrogen problems as well as soil compaction.
Elmore said growers in flooded areas will need to manage their fields on an
individual basis.
Additional rainfall on Aug. 28 continued to cause problems for people in north
central Iowa, with an addition of one to four inches in areas that had already
received over 10 inches in the month of August.
As of August 24 this is already the wettest August ever in Iowa, according to the
National Weather Service. The statewide monthly average of 8.62 inches is the
most since record keeping began 135 years ago, and it is the seventh-wettest
month in Iowa history.
Jennifer Bremer can be reached by phone at 641-938-2342 or by e-mail at
jbremermaj@hotmail.com.