Excessive rain from two different tropical systems has affected crops in Beaufort and Hyde counties, leaving farmers and agricultural officials assessing the damage.

Over the past couple of weeks, excessive rain brought by tropical storms Bonnie and Colin has left area farmers with flooded fields. Corn, soybeans, cotton and snap beans are underwater in some locations throughout the two counties, and there are also foreseeable problems related to the harvest of the area’s wheat crops, which were heavily affected by excessive rain in December and January, according to Rod Gurganus, Beaufort County Cooperative Extension director.

Gurganus said, in some locations in northeastern Beaufort County, farmers saw between 8 and 12 inches of rainfall over the course of the past week or more.

“It just depends on where you’re at,” Gurganus said. “There are some farmers who won’t see a lot of damage out of this. Other farmers who own land in low-lying areas, the water will stay long enough to hurt the crop.”

Andrea Gibbs, Ag agent with the Hyde County Cooperative Extension, said most areas in Hyde County are low-lying, making it difficult for the water to drain. That could mean serious damage for some crops, depending on what stage the crop was in when flooding occurred, she said. In the past 10 days, Hyde County has received between 10 and 12 inches of rainfall, according to Gibbs. However, the full magnitude of the damage is unknown at this point.

“I don’t have solid numbers yet,” Gibbs said. “I’m meeting with the FSA (Farm Service Agency) on Monday to evaluate what crop loss there is. For some folks, I think it is going to be a big loss. For others, like more towards Beaufort County’s Grassy Ridge and Ponzer areas, I don’t think they got as much rain, and it’s higher elevation, so they were able to get the water off quicker than areas in Hyde County like the Fairfield and Swan Quarter areas.”

Gibbs said the situation is complicated, as flooded crops are affected in various ways. Damage depends on an array of factors including the stage of life of a crop, what nutrients farmers have applied and other factors. For example, some corn crops are starting to turn yellow, suffering from a lack of oxygen in the soil, Gurganus said.

Over the next few days, extension officials will assess crops and help farmers determine what to do management-wise, Gurganus said. In some cases, corn crops may have to be replanted altogether.

A breakdown of how to assess corn crops based on variety and a number of other factors has been put together by Ron Heiniger, Crop Science Extension Corn Specialist with North Carolina State University. Farmers can refer to the impact breakdown and gauge how to assess their crop accordingly.

Gibbs said farmers in the region have really been impacted heavily by excessive rain and weather conditions over the past three years, between Hurricane Arthur in 2014, excessive rain in the fall and winter months of 2015 and with the current situation.

“In the spring, I was really excited,” Gibbs said. “We got off to a good start with corn, and it just started raining, and they’ve taken another hit. So the past three years have been really tough on the farmers.”

To view a breakdown of how to assess crop damage from flooding, visit https://beaufort.ces.ncsu.edu/2016/06/impact-of-flooding-on-corn/. For assistance with assessing crop damage or for more information, contact the Beaufort County Cooperative Extension at 252-946-0111, Hyde County Cooperative Extension at 252-926-4488 or Andrea Gibbs at 252-542-9300.