News

Patience needed to assess storm damage

An extension educator recommends farmers wait about a week to fully assess crop losses after a major weather event.

Marilyn Thelen with Michigan State University tells Brownfield summer storm damage always looks the worst right after and waiting a few days is best before making management decisions.  “You can’t get into that field real early anyway if you’ve had a big rain event because it’s just going to be too muddy.  Give it a little while, look at your assessment and go from there.”  She says wind or hail damage is still possible during the growing season and as the crop matures the severity of losses can increase.

Thelen tells Brownfield the storms that rolled through Mid-Michigan last week caused historic flooding and now is the time for farmers to decide if they are able to replant.  “Replant—June 30^th—for soybeans is going to give you about a 70 percent yield, and that’s if you can get out there today and plant it.  Your percentage loss or yield drag is going to keep increasing as you go through July.  I don’t think I would probably want to plant it a whole lot past that first week of July.”  She says if corn fields need to be replanted, a short day corn for silage is about the only option this late in the season. And she says if it doesn’t look like crops will be viable, it’s time to contact the crop insurance agent to get a claim started.

Michigan Senators Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the Senate Ag Committee, and Gary Peters are calling on the state’s governor and USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue to support federal disaster assistance to those impacted by the severe weather. They say if the extent of damage is greater than what state and local governments have resources for, they will support assistance if a disaster declaration is declared in the region.

AUDIO: Interview with Marilyn Thelen