As Indiana farmers push through harvest, they may be finding more variability in their fields than expected, with yields changing from one part of a field to another. And some of that variability may trace back to the heavy rains that swept across parts of the state this summer.
Excessive rainfall can affect crops in several ways. Saturated soils can limit oxygen available to plant roots, while heavy water movement can carry mobile nutrients, particularly nitrogen, deeper into the soil profile or beyond the root zone. Wet conditions can also increase the risk of nutrient loss through runoff and leaching.
According to AgriGold Agronomist, George Madison, “It’s the moisture. If you have a lower lying area in the field and water sat there with all these significant rain events, you’re going to be combining, going along, and you’re going to see the yield dip off and then it’s going to come back up. I think that’s going to be a big part of it, but also just the overall arcing disease pressure we see out in the field. I’ve seen so many foliar diseases stock rots, ear molds, lot of things going on this year. And I’ve seen that variability in the same field.”
Soil fertility could be another piece of the puzzle. Nitrogen availability may be a concern, but potassium and other nutrients should also be evaluated based on soil conditions and crop removal.
Madison adds, “When I think back to those rain events and those prolonged, saturated soils, I think you can start to see some of those nutrient deficiencies start to pop up. Mainly just because, some of those nutrients were tied up in the soil. We weren’t able to uptake those into the plant. So if you have spots in the field, or maybe you’re still working on building that fertility, it’s probably going to be a little more prevalent from the combine cab.”
As harvest wraps up, Madison recommends using yield maps, soil sampling, and nutrient testing to identify problem areas before making fertilizer decisions for next season. Understanding what happened this year can help farmers target inputs more effectively and prepare for the next growing season.
Find the full interview with George Madison here:
