By Clint Thompson
Most of Alabama has experienced sufficient rainfall in recent weeks. That’s provided much of the state with adequate moisture. However, one area could use some rain showers, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Abnormally dry weather conditions are being observed across most of southern Alabama. Neil Kelly, Alabama regional Extension agent in Southeast Alabama talked about the drought’s impact in the area.
“A lot of that rain that South Georgia has been getting the past week or so has stayed just kind of south of us. It’s sort of been more right along I-10, maybe a little north of I-10,” Kelly said. “But yeah, a lot of that has kind of missed us.
“We do have some pockets of dry. In the produce world, we’re still all right, but we’re almost 100% irrigated in the produce world. And so that really helps us. Now, obviously, our row croppers, yes, they need some rain to places that haven’t been getting it. It’s just been real spotty for us, real spotty. If you’ve been one of the lucky ones getting the showers, you’re in pretty good shape. If you’ve been one of the unfortunate ones who have seemed to kind of miss the pattern if you will, then yes, you’re kind of hurting in the row crop world. For us with the fruit and vegetables, all in all, I would say that we’re still faring okay right now. But a little rain would not even hurt those guys either.”
Fall Plantings
Kelly said some of his farmers’ fall plantings are already in the ground. This includes pumpkins, which are significant crops for producers who thrive with agritourism. Some fall tomatoes are also set out.
The current dry spell is helping growers avoid disease buildup, though it can lead to a spike in insect pressure.
“The dry weather really helps us a little bit there with fungal diseases and things like that. But hot, dry weather brings on spider mite; it brings on white flies; things of those nature that we have to sit there and contend with and fight. So wet weather, we fight disease; dry weather, we fight insects and things like that,” Kelly said.