The record rainfall and flooding we’ve had this summer has made it easier for fungi to spread in corn and soybean fields. Farmers are trying to stay on top of diseases like rust, gray leaf spot, brown spot, and rotting corn.
The saturated soil and moving water affects soybeans by making their roots unstable. But according to the University of Missouri Extension, there may be a silver lining in the floods--insects have not been as prevalent in crops this year.
In rural areas mostly used for cattle grazing, like far southwest Missouri, the flooding has taken a different toll. John Hobbs works with the MU Extension in MacDonald County.
“The most damage we’ve had, since we have very few row crops, is debris in the fields,” said Hobbs. “ It’s not going to hurt the production of the grass. But farmers are going to have to clean up the fields before they can get into them to mow, if they’re going to mow for hay.”
Hobbs said if the area gets some long periods of sunshine, it could turn out to be a great year for farmers planning to put up hay.