By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Ky. — While most of the nation’s flooding is coming at the expense of those in the Midwest, people living downriver are about to get a taste of it, as the swollen Mississippi and Ohio rivers could threaten some western Kentucky farmland.

Chad Lee, University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture extension grain crops specialist, said depending on the length of the flood, some crops may be able to survive, but others may need to be replanted.

“Plants can survive about 48 hours underwater if the water temperature is above 70 degrees,” he said.

This part of the state has dealt with high water during the spring, putting corn planting behind and forcing some growers to replant once. More water may be the last thing they need, as a great deal of the nation’s corn crop has already taken a hit with the extensive flooding in Iowa. “We have some corn and beans planted, but with the wet spring that we’ve had, some acres have not been planted yet,” said Carla Harper, UK agriculture and natural resources extension agent in Carlisle County.

Soybeans are generally planted in these areas and should replanting be necessary after the floodwaters recede, growers could see decreased yields.

As of June 22, the Mississippi was expected to crest at Cairo, Ill. Flood stage is 40 feet. If that proves to be the case, farmers in Ballard County may have a problem, as many soybeans there are planted in river bottoms and some corn is planted behind the levee.

“At 44 feet, it would be over the levee here,” said Tom Miller, Ballard County agriculture and natural resource extension agent.
Miller also said it could take the river until July 1 to recede.
(Typically the last date for planting soybeans is around July 4.)
Though it may be risky, he has known farmers who have successfully planted after that date. “I know people who have gone to July 10 or 20, but it’s totally a crapshoot at that point,” he said.
UK specialists recommend, when the waters recede, that farmers should wait about five or six days before determining crop loss. To check for crop loss in soybeans, farmers need to inspect the main stem of the plant to see if it looks healthy.

“If it looks healthy, everything should be fine,” Lee said. “If it does not look healthy, but there are leaves coming off it, there is still the chance it could develop additional branches and be okay.”

Lee also said farmers debating whether to replant should consider the size of the damaged field and if they have enough materials to replace the damaged crop. They should check the herbicide levels to make sure they can replant the field with soybeans. He suggested farmers plant soybeans in narrow rows – no more than 15 inches apart – to bump up the population and get 160,000 plants per acre.

In Union County, where flooding has already been an issue, Rankin Powell, agriculture and natural resources extension agent, said if the weather stays clear this week, he expects double-crop farmers there to begin harvesting wheat as early as the end of the week and begin planting soybeans shortly thereafter.