Tropical storms and hurricanes can obviously bring large amounts of rain and strong wind gusts. When we think of storm damage, we typically think of damage to property and structures, but did you know that plants can also be adversely affected by storms? Plant roots search for nutrients and water in the soil but they also need oxygen from small air-filled pores. With the increased amount of rainfall these air pockets become full of water and can slowly suffocate the plant if water does not make its way through the root zone. Damage to crops can occur after multiple days of standing water and extremely wet conditions, when parts of the root system will actually die and new root growth may also also be stunted in these conditions.

Along with rainfall, wind damage can cause extensive damage to a variety of crops. Tree limbs are normally the most obvious signs of storm damage from wind, but corn plants can also be pushed over and cotton plants can become entangled across rows. Whereas broken limbs and downed trees can be pruned, sawed and cleared, for corn plants that are blown over, solutions are more difficult to come by. Corn plants that have been blown over can suffer from what is known as root lodging, where root growth is unable to anchor the plant against strong winds and saturated ground from abundant rainfall. This can lead to buckling and breakage of the stalk, causing the corn to lay down flat in the field, rendering the crop unharvestable. Conversely, cotton plants will largely attempt to stand back up on their own, although the success of their attempted reset may depend on where they are in the growth cycle. Some cotton crops are more top heavy and can take a bit more time to straighten up before harvest. In addition to plants being knocked over, open cotton bolls may be blown off the plant and appear on the ground nearby. This can affect yield to some degree, but the plant has an extended fruiting period that can help it recover some of its lost yield. Cotton bolls are currently not open in the field, so our recent rains should not be an issue in knocking bolls off of the plant.

If you have any questions please call North Carolina Cooperative Extension- Lee Center at 919-775-5624.