In this episode of the Alabama Crops Report, hosts Simer Virk and Scott Graham talk with Kris Balkcom, Aaron Wells, and Sedrick Mack for an update on planting in the Wiregrass region. After a dry start to spring, ample rainfall has improved soil moisture conditions. However, that rainfall has also stopped progress on planting.

“We certainly are going to have a later (peanut) crop than we wanted. Due to finally getting that moisture, it’s been about 10 days that everybody has been out of the field, so we probably have 35 to 40 percent of the crop left to plant. We needed that rain because we’ve been in a drought with a huge deficit.” -Kris Balkcom

Along with planting delays, swapping dry conditions for wet fields has led to crop management issues as well.

“I think a good fungicide program, especially for peanut farmers, is going to be necessary. It looks like it’s going to be a wet year.” -Sedrick Mack

“Farmers need to make sure they are out there and seeing what is going on in their fields. I think folks may have to resort to a different herbicide program for their peanuts because it’s been so wet. If pre-emergent didn’t get applied in the field before the crop comes up, you might have to leave some things out, which may create problems later on with pigweed and things like that. So knowing what is in your field — whether it’s weeds, insects, or disease — that’s going to be really important this year.”

Listen to hear more of the group’s discussion about rainfall, planting delays, and crop management decisions.

 

 

Season 6 Episode 11 — Planting Progress in the Wiregrass Transcript