~Crop concerns
SIKESTON -- Local agriculture officials spent the past week fielding questions from farmers concerned about the effects this month's cold snap had on their corn crop.
The short answer? It's too early to know for sure.
The state witnessed an unprecedented climatic event over a three-week period when an unusually warm two-week period beginning March 21 quickly transitioned to a record six-day cold wave beginning April 4, according to Pat Guinan, University of Missouri Extension climatologist with the Commercial Agriculture Program.
The freezing temperatures came at a time when local farmers were about 90 percent finished planting corn, estimated Bill Emerine of Benton, agriculture consultant for Ag One.
"There was probably more corn planted and up in this time of April than I've ever seen," said Emerine who has been scouting crops since 1977.
"I have never seen the corn with as good of a start as we did this year," Emerine continued. "You could drive north of Sikeston to the Portageville area and see field after field where the corn was up and to a beautiful start."
Last month the U.S. Department of Agriculture's planting intentions report said Missouri farmers were expected to plant 3.4 million acres in 2007 -- a number not seen since 1963. It would be an increase of 26 percent from last year and 10 percent more than 2005.
The Sikeston area is seeing at least a 20 percent increase in corn acreage this year, said David Dunn, soil test supervisor at the Missouri Delta Research Center in Portageville.
"It's a fairly common rotation, in Sikeston at least, to grow corn one year and cotton the next, and some are breaking the cycle and growing more corn," Dunn said.
Better corn prices and the ethanol demand contribute to the switch, Dunn said.
Now farmers are just hoping the bulk of their corn crops will thrive.
"It's really tough on a farmer to have a beautiful stand of corn, and the next week, it look like it had been sprayed (with a herbicide)," Emerine said.
Emerine said early last week he was averaging about 50 calls a day from farmers wanting to know if their crops were going to be OK.
Jeff House, agronomist for New Madrid County University of Missouri Extension, said he's also received numerous inquiries from farmers.
"We need some warmth -- nothing lower than 50 degrees -- before plants will regrow, and then we can see the extent of the damage," House said.
The deeper planted corn, ag officials think, is going to be all right, House said. The corn crop may have been damaged by temperatures that caused soils to freeze down to a 2-inch depth in places.
"The soil temperature will be most critical to the state's corn crop that has been planted and sprouted," said Bill Wiebold University of Missouri agronomist.
As soon as the corn plant is visible above the soil surface, the growing point is about three quarters of an inch below the surface, Wiebold said. If temperatures go to freezing at that level, there is a likelihood of damage.
"The number of days until the corn puts out more growth will depend on the weather. Just be patient and see how it comes back," Emerine said, cautioning farmers not to unnecessarily destroy a crop.
In many cases, the plants are going to come back and be fine, said Emerine, who scouts crops in Scott, New Madrid, Mississippi, Stoddard and Pemiscot counties and into Arkansas.
"We have had years where we've had early corn that got frost, and in those cases, there was no yield reduction," Emerine said.
But Emerine can't remember a year like this, he said.
House said he can't either. Even older farmers House has talked to don't remember seeing anything like the cold snap this month.
"I don't think people realize the extent this could possibly go to," House said. Rains that followed the freeze seem to have helped the crops. House said he saw some corn growing in Gideon and other parts of New Madrid County that looks beautiful.
If a corn crop turns out to be damaged, farmers must decide whether or not to replant, which could also pose a problem.
"The corn seed supplies were short to begin with and now if they have to replant, they may not get the varieties they want," House said.
Most specialists reported area wheat fields were showing frost-damaged leaves. Like corn, the fate of the wheat crop will be revealed as the weather warms up.
For now, local growers must play the waiting game.
House advised: "Just slow down and be patient."