Flooded maize growers face wait to assess crop damage

Farmers with crops of maize under water following heavy rainfall have been advised not to panic.

Growers in the Midlands and on the Welsh borders have been hit hard after the River Severn burst its banks flooding nearby farmland. Hundreds of acres of maize and grassland have been submerged waist-high in water since Thursday 13 June.

See also: Crops feared lost in Lincolnshire floods

Neil Groom from seed merchant Grainseed has assured growers that maize can survive “up to one week” under water. But he said the roots will not persist without oxygen any longer than seven days.

Mr Groom said growers affected would have to “wait and see” and assess crops after the water subsided.

Nitrogen leaching

There is a high risk of nitrogen leaching in many areas that received high rainfall, not just flooding, he warned.

Mr Groom said it might be necessary for growers in these areas to top up nitrogen levels by applying more fertiliser.

“Nitrogen leaching is a worry for everyone in the country because a lot of people have had double their monthly rainfall,” he added.

“Maize moves into a rapid growth phase at the end of the month, where it grows to be knee-high in 3-4 weeks and requires adequate nitrogen to maximise growth.” 

If crops are still small and growers are able to travel, he recommends using bagged nitrogen, providing it is a dry day.

But if plants are taller than 15cm (6in), Mr Groom recommends using foliar fertiliser to avoid “scorching the leaf”.

Assess damage once water subsides

Maize Growers Association consultant Simon Draper echoed Mr Groom’s advice to wait and see what damage had been caused.

Mr Draper said MGA members had reported sporadic and isolated flooding and waterlogging incidents. The majority of those hardest hit were close to the River Severn.

Where land had been flooded, Mr Draper ruled out any prospects of re-drilling maize.

“By the time the land has dried out enough to travel on it without risking soil damage, it will be too late in the season for a maize crop to establish,” Mr Draper advised.

“It would be better to drill an alternative fodder crop instead, like stubble turnips for example.”

Flooded farm

Farmers Weekly Farmer Focus writer Henry Wilson, who milks 230 cows near the River Severn in Alberbury, Shropshire, has had 16ha of maize submerged since Thursday.

“The river has been dropping quite quickly since Saturday, but there are still areas where water is sitting in hollows,” he said.

“It’s very frustrating given it was established in good conditions. There’s always a risk of planting maize on river ground.

“I remain hopeful that if the water continues to drop quickly, we should be able to salvage some or most of the crop. However, I envisage we will lose marginal areas where the water doesn’t drain quickly enough.”

Mr Wilson said he hoped grass yields remained high to counter reduced maize yields and continuing pressure on winter forages after last year’s drought.