MONROE - Agricultural field work in Green and Lafayette counties nearly ground to a halt during the unrelenting rain and thunderstorms June 16-20, leaving farmers with just a day or two of suitable weather.
The repeated, heavy downpours in Wisconsin were reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as "stressing or outright drowning some fields" in the Wisconsin Crop Progress and Condition, published June 22.
Many areas of Green County received more than 5 to 7 inches of rain during the week, which led to some standing water in portions of low lying fields, according to Mark Mayer, the county's University of Wisconsin-Extension agriculture agent. On average, Green County receives its highest monthly rainfall in the month of June, averaging about 5 inches total for the month.
But "because of the shallow soils and topography of much of Green County, most farmers, if given the choice, would generally prefer to have too much rain versus too little as we experienced in 2012," Mayer reported Thursday. "It takes rain to make grain."
Though June rains did cause some flooding in the low-lying areas, the majority of Green County crops look very good.
Corn and beans on the uplands are doing very well, Mayer said. In his last crop report to the USDA, he rated 85 percent of the corn and soybeans in the county to be in the good to excellent category. The USDA state average for corn and beans was 79 percent.
Storms earlier this week, left some hail damage on corn in a small section of Brooklyn Township.
The June rains made hay harvest a challenge, but for farmers lucky enough to make use of the few days of good weather, the first crop of hay yields "were very good and above average due to the abundant precipitation," Mayer said. Those rains will also result in excellent yields for the second cutting of alfalfa hay, which some farmers have already started this week, he added.
Some producers, particularly in the northern parts of the state, were unable to finish cutting their first crop before the rain hit last week. Statewide, the first cutting of alfalfa was 82 percent complete as of June 22, and all hay was 89 percent in good to excellent condition.
The June rains should also increase the yields for many of Green County's small grains, such as winter wheat, rye, barley and oats that will be harvested in July, Mayer noted.
Wisconsin crops were reportedly responding well to the muggy heat and plentiful moisture. Average temperatures in Madison last week were 6 degrees above normal, ranging from 87 for a high to 60 degrees for low.
"Even though we had a late start to our planting season this spring," Mayer said, "we have caught up on Growing Degree Days, and in fact, we are now slightly ahead of normal for heat units as of the fourth week of June."
Madison had 903 growing degree days between March 1 and June 21, compared to 858 days normally, based on 1971-2000 data.
The 10-20 percent shortage of topsoil and subsoil moisture in south-central and southwest Wisconsin reported on June 16 has almost disappeared
The rain sharply raised topsoil moisture from 12 to 34 percent surplus in the south-central portion. In southwest Wisconsin, topsoil had a surplus of 43 percent, up from 3 percent. Subsoil moisture rose, from 11 to 32 percent in the south-central portion, and from 0 to 14 percent in the southwest.
Warmer temperatures are great for crops, unless they are standing in floodwaters.
How much damage flooding does to the corn and soybeans crops depends upon when it hits during the plant's life cycle; the frequency and duration of flooding; and the temperature of the air and soil during the flooding, Mayer said.
The oxygen supply in a flooded soil is depleted within about 48 hours. Without oxygen, the growing point of a corn plant cannot respire and the plant will be stunted and likely die.
If temperatures are greater than 77 degrees during flooding, plants may not survive after 24 hours of flooding.
Cooler temperatures prolong survival; crop injury to corn can be limited if the soil is flooded for less than 48 hours at cooler temperature.
Soybeans are a little more tolerant of flooding and generally can survive about one to two days longer than corn when flooded.
The repeated, heavy downpours in Wisconsin were reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as "stressing or outright drowning some fields" in the Wisconsin Crop Progress and Condition, published June 22.
Many areas of Green County received more than 5 to 7 inches of rain during the week, which led to some standing water in portions of low lying fields, according to Mark Mayer, the county's University of Wisconsin-Extension agriculture agent. On average, Green County receives its highest monthly rainfall in the month of June, averaging about 5 inches total for the month.
But "because of the shallow soils and topography of much of Green County, most farmers, if given the choice, would generally prefer to have too much rain versus too little as we experienced in 2012," Mayer reported Thursday. "It takes rain to make grain."
Though June rains did cause some flooding in the low-lying areas, the majority of Green County crops look very good.
Corn and beans on the uplands are doing very well, Mayer said. In his last crop report to the USDA, he rated 85 percent of the corn and soybeans in the county to be in the good to excellent category. The USDA state average for corn and beans was 79 percent.
Storms earlier this week, left some hail damage on corn in a small section of Brooklyn Township.
The June rains made hay harvest a challenge, but for farmers lucky enough to make use of the few days of good weather, the first crop of hay yields "were very good and above average due to the abundant precipitation," Mayer said. Those rains will also result in excellent yields for the second cutting of alfalfa hay, which some farmers have already started this week, he added.
Some producers, particularly in the northern parts of the state, were unable to finish cutting their first crop before the rain hit last week. Statewide, the first cutting of alfalfa was 82 percent complete as of June 22, and all hay was 89 percent in good to excellent condition.
The June rains should also increase the yields for many of Green County's small grains, such as winter wheat, rye, barley and oats that will be harvested in July, Mayer noted.
Wisconsin crops were reportedly responding well to the muggy heat and plentiful moisture. Average temperatures in Madison last week were 6 degrees above normal, ranging from 87 for a high to 60 degrees for low.
"Even though we had a late start to our planting season this spring," Mayer said, "we have caught up on Growing Degree Days, and in fact, we are now slightly ahead of normal for heat units as of the fourth week of June."
Madison had 903 growing degree days between March 1 and June 21, compared to 858 days normally, based on 1971-2000 data.
The 10-20 percent shortage of topsoil and subsoil moisture in south-central and southwest Wisconsin reported on June 16 has almost disappeared
The rain sharply raised topsoil moisture from 12 to 34 percent surplus in the south-central portion. In southwest Wisconsin, topsoil had a surplus of 43 percent, up from 3 percent. Subsoil moisture rose, from 11 to 32 percent in the south-central portion, and from 0 to 14 percent in the southwest.
Warmer temperatures are great for crops, unless they are standing in floodwaters.
How much damage flooding does to the corn and soybeans crops depends upon when it hits during the plant's life cycle; the frequency and duration of flooding; and the temperature of the air and soil during the flooding, Mayer said.
The oxygen supply in a flooded soil is depleted within about 48 hours. Without oxygen, the growing point of a corn plant cannot respire and the plant will be stunted and likely die.
If temperatures are greater than 77 degrees during flooding, plants may not survive after 24 hours of flooding.
Cooler temperatures prolong survival; crop injury to corn can be limited if the soil is flooded for less than 48 hours at cooler temperature.
Soybeans are a little more tolerant of flooding and generally can survive about one to two days longer than corn when flooded.