Corn’s future depends on how long water stays on field

A field along Maple Road west of Fort Scott is left muddy and partially covered with water April 30 following heavy rains on April 29.

Tammy Helm

Area farmers and producers could see some effects of flooding that resulted from a deluge that hit Bourbon County last weekend.

Not only did parks and roadways become flooded due to rising rivers and streams, but fields received their share of rainfall on April 29 that caused flooding concerns on April 30.

“Any low-lying land or anywhere around a creek or river probably still has water in it today,” Chris Petty, extension agent with the Southwind Extension District, said Thursday.

Petty said corn is his primary concern and “some may have to be re-planted.” He said corn is the only crop “in the ground this early in the year.”

“Not all corn in the county has been planted; the rain has delayed that,” he said. “It’s just now starting to pop up out of the ground and is a few inches tall. How severe the damage is depends on how long the water sits in that field.”

Petty said water can “turn corn plants yellow” and cause other damages. Drier weather in the coming days may help the situation.

“The plant roots will rot off into the ground if it’s waterlogged for too long,” he said. “If it’s sunny weather and the wind blows, they’ll probably be OK. They may need to replant those sections.

“If the whole field is underwater, they may have to plant a different crop in there if it doesn’t dry out soon.”

Bourbon County Emergency Manager William Wallis said some portions of the county received 6 or more inches of rain, while other areas received less. At times, rain fell in torrents in Fort Scott.

“We got a lot of rain at one time,” Petty said. “The best rain is slow, soaking rains. When you get five to six inches over the course of a weekend, that’s not the ideal type of moisture but you’re grateful you got it instead of a drought.”

Warmer, drier weather is predicted in the coming week, leaving behind recent chillier weather and rain systems that moved out of the area Thursday. The area received another moderate round of rainfall Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Better weather is good for all the crops,” Petty said. “The farmers are happy about that, too, because they can get the rest of their fields planted. And actually, a little moisture is excellent to plant into. A little bit is good, but sometimes a lot is too much.”