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Record Rainfall Stunts Crop Growth Across The State

Heavy rain could be reducing farm yields across the state, like this one in western NC.
mystuart via Flickr, creative commons

Record rainfalls across much of North Carolina have resulted in poor crop growth. When there's too much moisture, root systems often don't get a chance to develop fully, and certain nutrients, like nitrogen, also tend to be depleted.

Carl Crozier, soil science professor and extension specialist at N.C. State, says it's a complex issue because of all the different types of soil in North Carolina.

“The sandier soil tends to experience more soil losses to leaching,” Crozier says. “Now, if soil has more clay and water stagnates or ponds in it, nitrogen can be lost through denitrification, which means it's a stagnant environment and the microbes will use up all the oxygen.”

Crozier encourages farmers to learn about their soil types and to do routine testing to measure the amount of nutrients in the soil.  Frequent sampling is especially important after periods of unusually wet weather.

Fed up with the frigid winters of her native state, Catherine was lured to North Carolina in 2006. She grew up in Wisconsin where she spent much of her time making music and telling stories. Prior to joining WUNC, Catherine hosted All Things Considered and classical music at Wisconsin Public Radio. She got her start hosting late-nights and producing current events talk shows for the station's Ideas Network. She later became a fill-in talk show host and recorded books for WPR's popular daily program, Chapter A Day.
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