03/12/2020- The 2019 growing season was a tough one on area farmers and horticulturalists and the effects of that are expected to continue to be felt into this year and beyond. Marinette County Extension Agent Scott Reuss says with last year’s excessive rainfall and record high water levels, some agricultural fields never had a chance to dry out before the snow fell, meaning their condition will be compromised before the seed even hits the ground this spring. He adds it will likely take years for the health of the soil in fields in Marinette and Oconto Counties to recover.
Reuss says the two-county region set a record for the number of prevented planting cases handled in 2019 and he’s already receiving calls from farmers who are bracing themselves for the aftershock of the 2019 harvest and another hard year ahead.
Another issue farmers and growers may have to deal with is the potential for an increase in fungal diseases. Reuss says the wet ground coupled with any stretch of humid conditions will create a hot bed for these types of problems and could wreak havoc on both small and large-scale plantings.