BEAUFORT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Recent rainfall in Eastern North Carolina is helping ease prolonged drought conditions. Still, for some local farmers, the sudden deluge is bringing a whole new set of problems.While the rain has helped some crops bounce back, farmers in Beaufort County say the transition from dry to wet weather is not as simple as it seems.At Arnold Farms, tobacco, corn, and soybean crops are looking greener than they did a month ago. However, the sudden shift has put additional stress on plants that have struggl...
BEAUFORT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Recent rainfall in Eastern North Carolina is helping ease prolonged drought conditions. Still, for some local farmers, the sudden deluge is bringing a whole new set of problems.
While the rain has helped some crops bounce back, farmers in Beaufort County say the transition from dry to wet weather is not as simple as it seems.
At Arnold Farms, tobacco, corn, and soybean crops are looking greener than they did a month ago. However, the sudden shift has put additional stress on plants that have struggled for moisture all season.
“Getting all the rain at one time is not ideal,” said Jody Arnold, a fourth-generation farmer and farm manager. “These ears of corn look like they should have filled out when you actually pull the shucks back. There’s nothing at all on that ear of corn. It just was never able to pollinate.”
For some crops, the timing of the drought was devastating. Corn yields took a significant hit during the dry weeks of early summer. Now, as heavy rain continues, other major crops are at risk.
Andrew Arnold, the owner of Arnold Farms, explained that tobacco—their primary crop—is typically suited for drier conditions.
“When you start getting too much water, roots start rotting, and water brings on a lot of disease,” Andrew Arnold said. “Things can turn around pretty quickly.”
Compounding the issue is standing water in flooded fields, which prevents heavy machinery from being used.
“If we’re not able to get our equipment on the field to help these crops finish the season, then there’s just a lot of areas where they could get damaged even more severely,” Jody Arnold said.
With several weeks left in the growing season, farmers say it is still too early to determine final yields for tobacco and soybeans. Still, they hope these hardier crops can remain resilient despite the wet conditions.
For now, finding the perfect balance of weather remains an ongoing, and often impossible, challenge.