Concern about crops sprouts amid extreme drought, heat
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Updated: July 25, 5:32 a.m. | Posted: July 24, 8:56 a.m.
Extreme drought and sweltering heat are sowing trouble for Minnesota corn crops and backyard gardens alike.
Last week, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed more than 70 percent of Minnesota in moderate drought conditions or worse. And for the first time this year, areas of extreme drought popped up in Anoka County in the north Twin Cities metro, in and around Benton County, and in the southeastern corner of the state centering around Olmsted County. There's a rainfall deficit across much of Minnesota and lake and river levels are dropping, too.
Nick Peterson, a member of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association Board of Directors, was a guest on Morning Edition. A farmer himself in Clear Lake, he says it’s been a “trying summer” due to the complicated conditions.
“Even from the get-go, there were poor stands in the field, just due to lack of moisture — and that has persisted,” Peterson said. “A lot of crop is holding on yet. But a lot of yield potential has been taken off the top and continues to be.”
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Corn is more vulnerable to lingering drought than soybeans, which Peterson said can bounce back from an early-summer beating, as long as they get substantial moisture later on in the season. But “corn continues to struggle,” he said, “pretty much every successive day of heavy heat and moisture stress.”
Spotty showers and even bouts of significant rainfall haven’t been enough to break the drought, Peterson explained. Recent precipitation has been “buying the crops more time,” but this week’s high temperatures are worrying.
“I’m wondering what that's going to do to some of these drought-stressed crops. And will it be the nail in the coffin? I don't know,” he said.
Russia’s recent closure of ports, stopping Ukraine from exporting grain, isn’t affecting markets here — yet. But Peterson says that might change in Minnesota when harvest hits and production shortfalls become apparent.
This summer isn’t necessarily unique. The past few summers have been tough for local farmers due to dry weather patterns and climate change.
“It seems like everyone feels fairly confident that things are getting more extreme, but it's still a cyclical system, Peterson said. “Hopefully, we can fare well enough. And those times a year where we are getting moisture, even if it's some larger storms, that it can get us through the year.”
Peterson believes, despite the lack of moisture and hot weather, there will still be some strong crop yields.