Mississippi Delta farmers who plant soybean crops in rotation with paddy rice can see yield losses as high as 25-percent. But the work of USDA scientists could result in soybean varieties that thrive in soggy fields – which would help increase profits for these farmers. A collaborator at a USDA Agricultural Research Service facility in Ohio has studied flood tolerance in soybeans in a range of environments. In an effort to supplement the narrow genetic base of U.S. soybeans and improve their tolerance to wet soil and associated diseases – this scientist and her colleagues are finding and incorporating genes from non-native soybean varieties.

The flood tolerance of lines native to Vietnam and Cambodia and lines from Australia, China, Japan and Taiwan created with modern breeding techniques were among those included. The top three flood-tolerant lines were identified during screenhouse tests. The plants were grown in pots – and once in full bloom – were placed in a bucket of water so that the water level was two-inches above the soil surface for two weeks. The plants from the top lines grew the tallest and produced the biggest seeds and highest yields. When replicated in flooded experimental fields – USDA says the results were the same.

Agricultural Summary

No rain equated to 6.9 days suitable for fieldwork.  Now experiencing extreme drought, statewide topsoil moisture rated 90 percent very short, 9 percent short, and only 1 percent adequate.  Subsoil moisture was 85 percent very short, 14 percent short, and 1 percent adequate.  Grass fires continue to be a concern.  Well pumps have been lowered to account for dropping ground water levels.

Field Crops Report

Corn silked and beyond was 95 percent, 13 days ahead of last year and 18 days ahead of normal (5-year average).  Corn dough stage and beyond was 61 percent, 15 days ahead of last year, and 17 days ahead of normal.  Corn dented was 26 percent, 16 days ahead of last year, and 18 days ahead of normal.  Corn condition rated 48 percent very poor, 31 percent poor, 16 percent fair, 4 percent good, and 1 percent excellent.  Rain will not help most of the corn crop at this point.  Some producers cut silage and baled corn to salvage it due to low yields.  Soybeans blooming and beyond were 60 percent, 1 week ahead of last year, and 10 days ahead of normal.  Soybeans setting pods and beyond were 16 percent, 5 days ahead of last year and normal.  Soybean condition was 31 percent very poor, 37 percent poor, 24 percent fair, 7 percent good, and 1 percent excellent.  Extreme drought conditions and excessive heat prevented some soybeans from flowering, and there were several reports of soybeans not setting pods.  Cotton squaring and beyond was 98 percent, 8 days ahead of last year, and 1 week ahead of normal.  Cotton setting bolls and beyond was 31 percent, 4 days behind last year, and 9 days behind normal.  Cotton condition was 12 percent very poor, 31 percent poor, 42 percent fair, 13 percent good, and 2 percent excellent.  Rice headed was 22 percent, 16 days ahead of last year, and 3 days ahead of normal.  Rice condition was 5 percent poor, 23 percent fair, 52 percent good, and 20 percent excellent.  Sorghum headed was 47 percent, 16 days ahead of last year, and 11 days ahead of normal.  Sorghum turning color and beyond was 7 percent, 16 days ahead of last year, and 11 days ahead of normal.  Sorghum condition was 19 percent very poor, 34 percent poor, 35 percent fair, 11 percent good, and 1 percent excellent.  Alfalfa hay 3^rd cutting was 36 percent, 10 days ahead of last year, and 2 weeks ahead of normal.  Many areas were not able to have a 3^rd cutting due to the drought.

Pasture & Livestock

Pasture condition dropped to 74 percent very poor, 22 percent poor, and only 4 percent adequate.  Supply of hay and other roughages was 39 percent very short, 40 percent short, and 21 percent adequate.  Stock water supplies were 48 percent very short, 36 percent short, and 16 percent adequate.  Large ponds have dropped several feet, and small ponds were getting low.

Weather Summary

Temperatures were 4 to 8 degrees above average around the state except the southeast district was 2 to 4 degrees above average.  Precipitation averaged 0.05 of an inch.

The American Farm Bureau Federation has filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit concerning the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate poultry and livestock farms under the Clean Water Act. Farm Bureau is siding with a Virginia poultry grower who is challenging an EPA order demanding the grower obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System discharge permit. The agency’s order threatens more than 37-thousand dollars in daily fines for storm water that may come into contact with dust, feathers or dander deposited on the ground outside of poultry house ventilation fans – or small amounts of manure that may be in the farmyard as a result of normal poultry farming operations. Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman says this particular poultry grower runs an exemplary operation and has even won awards for the environmental stewardship practiced on the farm.

According to the Farm Bureau intervention papers – EPA’s order represents another attempt to regulate non-discharging farmers with an unlawful narrowing of the statutory exemption for agricultural storm water discharges. The group has defeated EPA regulations that illegally attempted to impose broad NPDES permit requirements for livestock and poultry farmers in two prior court cases. Stallman says Farm Bureau has joined this lawsuit on behalf of the thousands of other livestock and poultry farmers threatened by EPA’s extreme and unlawful restriction of the agricultural storm water exemption.