By Andi Anderson
Farmers are currently grappling with the devastating impact of a combination of drought and heavy rainfall, leaving crops severely compromised.
Prolonged drought weakened crops, including soybean pods, and the subsequent rain has created an unusual challenge—seeds sprouting within the damaged pods.
This phenomenon, as noted by Laura Lindsey, a field crops expert from Ohio State University, is rarely seen on such a scale.
“Farmers were already concerned about dry soybeans,” said Lindsey, a soybean and small grains specialist with Ohio State University Extension, CFAES’ outreach arm. “Many were facing pod shattering, where seeds break open and fall to the ground during harvest due to low moisture levels.”
Unfortunately, the heavy rain that followed the drought made matters worse. In some counties, such as Fairfield and Madison, seeds are sprouting inside the pods, further reducing crop quality. Farmers now face significant financial loss as buyers heavily discount sprouted beans.
“We have preharvest sprouting of soybeans in many fields. When moisture levels dropped below 8%, we were seeing pod shatter,” said Mike Estadt, OSU Extension educator in Pickaway County. “Now that we have moisture again, the seeds are sprouting inside the pods. Crop insurance doesn’t have a clear understanding of how this will be handled at the moment.”
With crop insurance policies unclear on how to handle this situation, many farmers remain uncertain about their futures.
The extended drought, affecting over 68% of the region, has had long-lasting consequences.
Aaron Wilson, a state climatologist, highlighted that while the rain helped some areas, the drought persists in others, particularly in central and southern regions.
“Counties like Scioto, Pike, Highland and Fayette saw localized flooding. But in areas like northwest Ohio, we didn’t see nearly as much rain, so drought conditions persist,” said Aaron Wilson.
The CFAES Drought Rapid Response Team continues to monitor the situation and work with farmers to mitigate the damage.
For ongoing resources and updates, farmers are encouraged to visit dedicated agricultural support platform at go.osu.edu/ohiodrought and drought management resources at climate.osu.edu/drought.
Photo Credit: science-photo-library-igor-stevanovic
Categories: Ohio, Crops, Soybeans