(Ames) — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field agronomist Meaghan Anderson has been extremely busy over the last two weeks assessing crop damage from the August 10th derecho.
Anderson tells the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network that as she continues to survey fields in storm-impacted areas, she’s amazed as to how widespread the damage is. USDA says the number of Iowa cropland acres affected by the derecho is 14 million, including 5.64 million acres of soybeans and 8.18 million acres of corn.
“It appears that some of the worst damage happened over in Tama, Benton, and western Linn County,” Anderson said. “But I can find pockets of almost any other county that I serve that has damage.”
Anderson adds it has also been remarkable to see the amount of corn that didn’t outright die.
“A lot of it was pinched over and I thought for sure it would be on its last leg and on its way out by now, but it seems to be at least holding on for now,” Anderson said. “That’s pretty amazing to me how strong these plants are and how resilient they try to be even in the face of this kind of crazy adversity.”
USDA also indicated that approximately 58,000 policy holders were affected by the derecho with a liability of around $6 billion. Anderson is telling farmers to expect a slow harvest season.
“It’s very likely going to have to start quite a bit earlier than most people typically would,” Anderson said. “I’m imagining that we’re going to want to be out in these fields when that grain is maybe over 20 percent moisture. In a lot of years – if we have good conditions – we’d like to hold out and let it do some more natural drying out there in the field, but I think it’s going to be tough to get this crop dry.”
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is currently offering a storm damage resources webpage to help assist farmers with any questions or concerns they may have while recovering from the derecho.
