Drought-related challenges persist across Michigan, raising concerns among farmers who say they're seeing some of the impacts from the ongoing warm, dry summer.
This year, complaints of deer damage in soybean crops have been higher compared to previous years. Officials say the animals have been forced to venture into fields due to the scarcity of other food sources caused by the drought.
In addition, poor or delayed emergence of corn crops this season have been an issue for many farmers.
Monica Jean, who is an MSU field crop extension educator in Isabella County, says farmers will likely have shorter corn compared to previous years.
“There’s a saying, ‘knee high by the fourth of July,’ and some fields were there, a lot of fields weren’t,” Jean said. “So we have shorter corn and that’s due to drought.”
The hot and dry start to the summer also gave insects a jump start on field infestations this year.
Thrips, aphids, spider mites, and leafhoppers pose a significant threat to field crops – and due to this year’s weather, their populations have surged.
Despite the recent rain, many areas are still grappling with moderate to severe drought, creating perfect conditions for the pests to flourish.
Jean says she’s received reports of leafhoppers and aphids affecting alfalfa and other crops in the area. But she’s warning farmers against spraying insecticides too soon, because early application may inadvertently kill beneficial insects that naturally prey on the pests.
“Just because we see a problem out there doesn’t mean there’s not beneficials taking care of that problem. And so if we spray too soon, you can kill the beneficials,” she said.
To avoid killing beneficials, Jean urges farmers to scout their fields first to assess the severity of the infestation. She recommends targeted actions such as cutting or spraying only if necessary.
She says scouting is also important in helping farmers determine which insecticide would be most effective in eliminating their pest predicament.
Concerns over combine fires are also high this year due to the dry weather conditions.
Many of these fires are caused by crop residue and dust accumulating on engines and crevices on the combine.
An article released by MSU states that the best way to prevent a combine fire is to manage the accumulation by keeping the machine clean. Other preventative measures include eliminating heat sources, avoiding parking a hot combine in an enclosed space, and checking machines for bare wires or damage caused by rodents, rubbing, or insulation melting.
Keeping a dry-chemical fire extinguisher in the combine cab can also help farmers in the case of a combine fire.
On a positive note, Jean says field crops this summer have experienced fewer instances of fungal diseases, as they typically thrive in moist conditions.
Jean acknowledges that farming can be stressful, especially during extreme weather conditions such as the current drought. Because of this, she is trying to bring more awareness to MSU’s farm stress program, which offers teletherapy to any farmers in need of help.
“I think it’s a really great resource especially in high stress times like this,” Jean said.
Through the program, farmers can talk to therapists who were either raised on a farm, or have farm exposure and can relate to and give them the help they need.
