COLUMBUS — The recent combination of drought conditions and a deluge of heavy rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Helene has left many Ohio soybean farmers grappling with compromised crop quality and uncertain futures.
Severe drought weakened soybean pods throughout the state, and the subsequent rain has led to an even more challenging situation—seed sprouting within compromised pods, a phenomenon rarely seen at such a scale in Ohio’s farming history, said Laura Lindsey, field crops expert with Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
“Farmers were already concerned about dry soybeans,” said Lindsey, a soybean and small grains specialist with Ohio State University Extension. “Many were facing pod shattering, where seeds break open and fall to the ground during harvest due to low moisture levels.
“The rainfall made the situation worse. Now, we’re seeing seeds sprout out of the pods in affected counties, including Fairfield, Madison, Pickaway, Ross and Fayette.”
Mike Estadt, OSU Extension educator in Pickaway County, shared similar observations from farmers in his area.
“When moisture levels dropped below 8%, we were seeing pod shatter,” Estadt said. “Now that we have moisture again, the seeds are sprouting inside the pods. Crop insurance doesn’t have a clear understanding of how this will be handled at the moment.”
Estadt emphasized that the impact on grain quality is particularly concerning. “This is also a huge negative to grain quality that buyers of soybeans will heavily discount when these beans are delivered to elevators,” he said.
According to Lindsey, a significant number of farmers may have postponed harvesting to allow moisture levels to build up after the rainfall. But this decision had unforeseen consequences.
“This is an unusual set of circumstances and the outcome has been fairly devastating,” she added. “While some fields were harvested before the rain, many others were not, and now we’re seeing sprouting that will undoubtedly impact both yield and quality.”
CFAES activated its Drought Rapid Response Team earlier this summer to monitor crop health, water resources and weather patterns. The team works closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state agencies and local farmers to develop strategies to mitigate the drought’s impact.
Estadt added that one of the primary concerns among farmers is how to address these quality issues as they prepare for harvest.
“Farmers are worried about how much damage buyers will accept and how crop insurance will handle the loss of quality. Field shatter was already a problem, and this rain just adds to it,” he said. “They’ll likely harvest any remaining soybeans as soon as possible to lessen the percentage of sprouts.”
Lindsey said they are working on a project funded by the United Soybean Board to study harvest losses and seed quality issues when harvest is delayed. “Unfortunately, not much can be done now, but this year will serve as an important reference for future extreme weather events,” she said.
Reports of lodged corn sprouting on the ground have also surfaced, further complicating the situation for farmers across Ohio.
For ongoing updates and resources related to agriculture, visit go.osu.edu/ohiodrought. For more information on drought preparedness and other drought impacts, visit climate.osu.edu/drought.
(Information provided by Tracy Turner with Ohio State University CFAES.)
