Statesboro-Georgia’s drought conditions have improved for the first time in weeks due to rain from Tropical Storm Nestor, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting—but the hot, dry weather can impact crops and other plant life in the state.
As of Oct. 25, 100% of the state is at least under abnormally dry conditions, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. Bulloch County has been under moderate to severe drought conditions for the last month.
It’s the first time since 2017 that Georgia has experienced such significant dryness, according to CNN, and the conditions can heavily impact crop plants.
How droughts affect crops
Marylou Machingura, an assistant professor of biology at Georgia Southern University, has studied drought tolerance in crop plants. She said water stress often comes with high temperatures.
Because plants need water to cool themselves, they’re more susceptible to damage during droughts. Machingura said irrigation can help with crops, but predicting droughts is difficult.
“It’s kind of difficult to prepare, because you don’t know when the drought is going to hit,” Machingura said.
Caitlyn Grunert, graduate assistant for the GS Center for Sustainability, is studying public health with an emphasis in environmental science. She said farmers are experiencing smaller yields and shorter harvesting times due to the weather staying hot for a longer period of time.
“How farmers are trying to compete with this drought is by chemically adding nutrients, but this just leads to those plants to be resistant to diseases,” Grunert said.
Grunert said spontaneous rainfall doesn’t fix the drought problem. The dry, depleted soil can’t absorb the rain effectively, and the rain cause flash flooding, which isn’t good for sustainable farming.
Local impact
One Georgia farmer told GPB that his farm was only able to harvest 10 to 15 bushels of soybeans this year, despite normally yielding 60 bushels. Another Georgia farmer told WJBF News Channel 6 that he and other farmers have had to destroy some of their crops.
For Brooklet honey company owner Ed DiNello, the drought has not ruined an otherwise good season of beekeeping at The Bees’ Knees Beehives.
“More recent droughts haven't affected my hive because beekeepers are done pulling honey by late August. However, if we were still in the spring or summer, it would have absolutely affected us,” DiNello said.
Because bees need pollen and nectar to survive, they need blooming vegetation. DiNello said wild bees can die if heat and drought kills the plants.
DiNello’s bees, however, can survive droughts if they’re fed a solution of sugar water.
“As a beekeeper, I have the advantage of being able to feed my bees if I have to, but wild bee hives don't have a beekeeper to feed them during a drought,” DiNello said.
Georgia is experiencing other effects of the drought beyond agriculture as well. According to CNN, tree leaves are prematurely changing color, and the Georgia Forestry Department has received 270% more fire calls than the seasonal average.
Soon, the drought is likely to spread throughout the Southeast, according to the United States Drought Monitor.
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