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Prolonged wet harvest could have lasting impacts

An agronomist warns farmers to be mindful of soil compaction if they’re still harvesting.

“My biggest fear right now is soil compaction as we’re in some of these fields and they’re wetter than we’d like them to be, that tends to be the gift that keeps on giving for years to come.”

Charles Scovill covers Michigan and parts of Indiana and Ohio for Golden Harvest Seeds.  He tells Brownfield a wet spring, dry summer and wet fall has wreaked havoc on corn root systems this year and compacted fields from a late harvest could lead to repeat issues.  “Not having the ability to pull up those nutrients properly from the soil I think is leading to a lot of what we’re seeing today in the way of stalk issues and stalk rots.”

He says root damage made the crop more susceptible to disease and led to grain quality and quantity issues in Michigan.  “A fair bit of western bean cut worm showed up in fields across the state and probably more tar spot than we’ve ever seen.”

Scovill recommends crop rotation and more aggressive fungicide management will be needed in fields that developed tar spot infections.

AUDIO: Brownfield interview with Charles Scovill