Managing Winter Forage
    Fields After Flooding

    Marsha Campbell Mathews
    Farm Advisor

    Cereal crops which have been submerged will stay alive only a very short time. Tom Kearney, farm advisor in Yolo County made the following observations on tillered wheat after the January 1995 flooding:

     

    One day submerged No injury
    Two days submerged Excellent recovery
    Three days submerged Death of lower leaves and small      tillers. Probably some reduction in yield.  
    Four days submergedSevere injury, most leaves dead and high number of plants dead.
    Five days submergedFew surviving plants. 
     

    In this area, winter forage crops have been damaged notonly by flooding but by water standing due to high water tables. These fields, or portions of fields, will survive longer than those submerged, but these will eventually die if drainage is not provided. 


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    November 5, 1999