The recent dry conditions have produced a number of negative impacts on agriculture in the Southeast. Rome Ethredge noted in his Seminole Crop E-News blog that dryland peanuts have taken quite a hit with very spotty rains in some areas. He noted that decreased yields are likely in the driest fields. There have been increases in pest pressure as well as some pod splitting where dry conditions were followed by a heavy rain. You can read his blog and see some pictures here.
A CoCoRaHS observer in Taylor County in middle Georgia noted that because of dry conditions in his area, his hay fields have dried up and he does not expect to get another cutting this year. He says that he is short 80 bales from what he made last year.
Keith Fielder, the Extension agent in Putnam County, reported in the USDA Georgia Crop Progress and Condition Report that soybean progress has also been slowed by the dry conditions and that corn silage harvest is down due to disease pressure and stress from the heat and dryness.
If you have impacts you would like to report, please send comments to this blog. You can also enter drought reports at the Drought Impact Reporter at the National Drought Mitigation Center at https://drought.unl.edu/MonitoringTools/DroughtImpactReporter.aspx.
