We often talk about negative impacts of drought, but for some people it has positive impacts as well. For construction companies and golf courses, dry conditions mean more days to get work and play done, increasing income. In agriculture, a story this week in Growing Georgia highlights one benefit that the recent dry conditions have had this year–preserving the pecan crop. Last year, pecans did not do well because of the persistent wet conditions and associated diseases that pecan trees suffered from. This year, producers were worried about the wet conditions early in the year, and some leaf scab plagued trees, particularly in southwest GA. But then conditions dried out, leading to areas of severe drought which negatively impacted peanut and cotton growers. However, the drier conditions reduced diseases on the pecan trees, which should lead to better yields this year for this lucrative crop. You can read the story by clicking here.
