Purdue News
Purdue News
Posey County, bordered by both the flood-swollen Wabash and Ohio rivers at Indiana's southwestern tip, has gotten between 5 and 6 inches of rain since Feb. 28. It has seen as much as 10 inches of rain since the beginning of the year, according to Richard Biggs, director of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service office there.
However, Biggs said most of the county's 30,000-plus winter wheat acres are planted in areas that are not flood prone, and are safe even though flood waters are unusually high.
There are a few exceptions, however, he said.
"I heard from a farmer who said he might have to pump out his 300 acres of wheat near the Wabash River if the river continues to rise," Biggs said. "But we really don't have much of a problem along the Ohio."
There also is optimistic news from Purdue agronomist and winter wheat Extension expert Ellsworth Christmas, who said several factors bode well for wheat that is either threatened by water or is already submerged.
"Wheat can tolerate up to four or five days under water at this time of year when the plants are either dormant or starting to grow very slowly," he said. "The cool temperature of the soils, the cool water and cool air will help keep the growing rate slow and allow the wheat to survive for up to five days without significant damage."
Christmas also said that over the years, he has heard from farmers who have reported isolated cases of submerged wheat surviving beyond five days.
Christmas pointed out that the agricultural land threatened by recent flooding tends to be at risk for high water every year, and thus doesn't get planted to wheat.
"Where the flooding occurs along the Wabash River and on the river side of the various levees, farmers stay away from planting wheat because the likelihood of flooding is too great," he said.
To the east, Ohio State University plant pathologist Patrick Lipps said farmers in Ohio can count on their wheat surviving several days of flooding as long as temperatures remain normally cool for this time of year.
"Warmer-than-normal temperatures in the 60- or 70-degree range would cause plants to use up energy reserves and also could promote rotting of tissues," he said. "I'm not concerned with flooding as long as it recedes in a relatively short time. Damage from soil erosion in flooded areas would be more significant to the crop."
ACS code/970303 Ag Christmas.flood/9703f5
Sources: Richard Biggs, (812) 838-1331; e-mail: richard_biggs@ces.purdue.edu
Ellsworth Christmas, (765) 494-6373; e-mail: echristmas@dept.agry.purdue.edu
Patrick Lipps, (216) 263-3843; e-mail: lipps1@osu.edu
Writer: Amy H. Raley, (765) 494-6682; e-mail: ahr@aes.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
