FINDLAY, Ohio -
Before Monday's rain began, the new year has brought 1.6" more precipitation than normal, and a lot of northwest Ohio farmers appear to be optimistic that this will continue.
Last year was a different story, with only 1.74" falling during the critical month of April, and only 1.5" in Toledo in May.
"We had a very drouthy year, and so the plants had a lot of stress put on them," Jim Greve, the County Executive Director for Hancock, with the Farm Service Agency told us. "The corn crop took a pretty good hit."
Areas near Paulding and Defiance Counties were hardest hit.
Jim mentioned "pockets where those counties did suffer significant yield reductions from the drought last year."
The precipitation surplus through the winter has pushed northwest Ohio out of the recent drought. While the growing season has yet to begin, rain or melting snow now will benefit the plants in the months ahead.
"Then of course, once the crop is planted, we rely on that sub-surface moisture to get that crop up and going until we get timely rains throughout the growing season. So yes, the water table and this winter weather, and the rain is very beneficial," Greve mentioned. "They're optimistic they're going to have a good growing season this year, as they are every year."
2012 actually started with a small precipitation surplus, and it wasn't until the spring when the storm track shifted away, and the drought set in.
For 2013, so far, so good.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WICU. All Rights Reserved.
