By Clint Thompson
It is dry in Alabama. Not just in one area, either. It is prevalent throughout most of the state.
Just ask Neil Kelly, Alabama regional Extension agent in southeast Alabama.
“We were fortunate early in the year, had been getting good rainfall. It’s really gotten drier now. We’ve been probably 20-plus days in a lot of places, most everywhere, without rain. Some places have been drier than that. They’ve been longer without rain,” Kelly said.
While specialty crop producers prefer drier weather and be the ones to apply water, they are yearning for some much-needed moisture to help with insect control. Two insects in particular are of most concern, says Kelly.
“Most all of our specialty crops are going to be irrigated. We’re still doing all right with moisture as far as keeping the crops growing and keeping them on target. Obviously, we do worry more with things like spider mites when we get hot and dry weather,” Kelly said. “Spider mites become more difficult to control so those become an issue. Of course, we’re getting to the time of year where whiteflies are always an issue. The dry weather helps those as well. A little rain helps keep all of the populations of mites and whiteflies and things like that at bay.”
Other Impacts
The prolonged dry period can also impact specialty crop growers in other ways as well.
“This time of year, we’re starting to approach getting land ready to plant strawberries. Even with these specialty crop growers, we need some moisture to be able to work the fields up,” Kelly said. “If the temperatures spike and we stay this hot and dry, we can have some pollination issues. Right now, we’re below those critical temperatures. That’s not a huge factor right now.”