Farmers are concerned about crop loss in flooded fields and denitrification of fertilizer due to the heavy rains in the region this last week. Pioneer Field Agronomist Curt Hoffbeck says while soybeans can remain underwater longer than corn, neither crop can stay submerged for more than a few days without complete loss.
Hoffbeck says the biggest problem with soybeans after being under water is the increased likelihood of disease.
The other issue is loss of nitrogen, but Hoffbeck says just because a field is flooded doesn’t mean total denitrification.
He says the amount of loss depends on soil temperature and the number of days the field is saturated.
Hoffbeck says if a soil test comes back with nitrogen levels at less than 20 parts per million farmers need to add 5 to 7 pounds per part to get back to the required level.
