Southern Missouri is drought-free for the first time in eight months, according to the newest U.S Drought Monitor Map of the state. The region received more than 20 inches of rain from March 1 to the end of May.
While this is an improvement from February's moderate drought, the heavy rainfall had damaging effects on the infrastructure and future crop yields.
In April, a severe storm with high winds caused most of Springfield to be without power for several days. In the West Plains area, a round of storms caused flooding in some areas and claimed the life of one person who tried to drive through a flooded area.
Lindsay Johnson with the National Drought Mitigation Center says this precipitation is well above normal.
"If we look back at that same three-month period of March to May, much of southern Missouri was in the top third wettest in 131 years," she explained.
Johnson said the heavy rainfall allows soil moisture and groundwater to be 'above where it needs to be.'
Summer is a busy season for many farmers because certain crops are either harvested or planted during the months of May and June.
Farmers harvest winter wheat in May and June. They harvest fescue for hay during those months. Farmers typically plant corn in April, and they harvest it in the fall.
The heavy rainfall and flooding in this region impact farmers and growers. Micah Doubledee, agronomist with the Missouri Extension, said the excessive rainfall delayed the wheat harvest and disrupted corn and soybean planting.
"Farmers had to wait for the fields to dry out, for the wheat to dry down, and then they had a lot of issues planting corn, and early soybeans were struggling to withstand issues with the heavy rain," she adds.
If farmers planted early-season soybeans, they would also struggle to produce good yields for profit. The moisture caused some wheat to 'flower,' leading to what is called Fusarium Head Blight. This type of fungi leads to significant crop loss if untreated.
To prevent the fungi from spreading, some farmers had to spray fungicides, which are hazardous to humans and cattle.
According to Micah Doubledee with the University of Missouri Extension, this kind of rain can diminish the quality of the crop.
"We need a lot of this rainfall to help us recover from the previous years of drought, but since we got so much of it has created a lot of issues for crop production this spring," she said.
The ground being too dry or too wet can affect the yield. University of Missouri agronomy Professor Kelly Nelson said excess water can fill up spaces in the soil.
"That takes away oxygen from the roots of the crops, and that affects the ability of that plant to survive flooding and also causes deposition of soil material on the leaves, which can affect photosynthesis," Nelson explained.
Nelson said the amount of rainfall that can be considered dangerous depends on the type of soil. Clay soil, for example, is more absorbent and very porous. He adds that the amount of moisture in the soil depends on the infrastructure each farmer has.
"Farmers have a mechanism for getting water off, whether it's surface drainage, whether it's subsurface drainage, in an efficient manner. That's going to affect how it impacts that crop," he adds.
There's also the issue of denitrification – a loss of nitrogen in corn. Saturated soil is the leading cause of denitrification. Nitrogen is crucial for corn production. Without it, the leaves can become pale yellow and exhibit stunted growth of the stalk.
When the quality of the crop is affected, so is the financial return.
When referring to the excess rainfall and potential crop damage, Nelson said, 'We run into cycles.'
With the increased threat to flooded groundwater and its impact on farmers, Nelson said farmers are exploring ways to manage situations with advanced drainage systems and available technology.
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