Heavy Rain Hammers Cotton and Tobacco, Invigorates Corn

Source from:  ELLIOTT MINOR Associated Press ALBANY, Ga. 06/16/2005

Georgia's tobacco and cotton crops have taken a bruising from two weeks of heavy rain, but the extra moisture has been a blessing for corn, experts say. Georgia is just one of several states reporting agricultural problems from abnormal rainfall in late May and June. Other states include South Carolina and Virginia, where soggy conditions have delayed the hay harvest. The Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama got an extra heavy dose of the wet stuff last week when Tropical Storm Arlene pushed northward from the Gulf of Mexico. Arlene delayed hay cutting in both states, and Florida farmers were still assessing damage to other crops, such as peanuts and cotton. "We've got some drowned tobacco," said Danny Stanaland, the extension coordinator in southeastern Georgia's Bacon County. "Some will recover, some won't." Besides the rain damage, tobacco growers also stand to lose a significant portion of the crop to tomato spotted wilt virus, a disease that causes the leaves to turn brown and wither, and to tobacco mosaic, another disease that can greatly reduce farmers' yields, experts said Wednesday. "It sure doesn't give a farmer much hope," said Stanaland. Lamar DeLoach, who grows 200 acres of tobacco near Metter, Ga., said the rain - 6 inches since June 1 - and spotted wilt have been a setback, but his 1,600 acres of corn "looks gorgeous." "It's always been said that if you make a beautiful corn crop, you don't make as good a tobacco crop and that's pretty much true," he said. In the past two weeks, some parts of southern Georgia have had the most rainfall for the period since 2003. Cordele, which bills itself as the "Watermelon Capital of the World," had 6.46 inches. Alma, a center for tobacco and blueberry production, had 7.58. Moultrie, a cornucopia of cabbage, greens and other vegetables, had 9.06 inches. Fort Valley, located in the center of Georgia's most productive peach-growing area, had 6.97 inches. Vidalia, home of Georgia's famous sweet onion, fared better than most, with 3.32 inches. "The major thing we're looking for is a few days of sunny, dry weather," said Georgia Agricultural Commissioner Tommy Irvin. "If the sun stays out for several days, a lot of this water will subside. Some crops have a tendency to rebound." South Georgia farmers are harvesting numerous high-value vegetable such as cabbage, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, sweet corn, peas and beans. "It's not ideal," Terry Kelley, a University of Georgia vegetable specialist, said of the rain. "My feeling is that statewide we're not in bad shape. We've gotten more than we would like to have, but I think at this point that it hasn't put us in any trouble." Georgia is a major source of watermelons for Fourth of July picnics. Farmers soon will begin shipping them on a large scale. The crop was already delayed by unusually cool, cloudy spring weather. "The rainy weather has had an effect on our crop load," said Ken Lewis, extension coordinator in Crisp County. "We've not been able to set the tonnage that we would like to have. You would think that watermelons - with a name like water melons - that they like a lot of water. Actually, too much water can stress the plant." Excessive moisture can dilute the sugars in watermelons, but with a few days of dry weather they can recover, Lewis said. "Yes, the wet weather has had an effect on us," Lewis said. "But there's a chance consumers won't see it in the store." Bob Dickey of Dickey Farms in Musella, west of Macon, said he's glad to see the sun shining on his peach orchards. The sugars in peaches can also be diluted by excessive rain. "We have a new variety every week in season," he said. "The variety now might not be quiet as sweet. But we've got an adequate crop. The quality so far has been good." Enditem