Sep 24, 2009Dry Harvest in Maine, Quality and Yields Look Good
Growers in Maine are dealing with a lack of water, rather than the overabundance of water they usually deal with at harvest.
Despite the dry end to the growing season, the state’s crop is going to be of good quality with yields that are on average, said Donald Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board. There shouldn’t be any storage issues from the crop, either, he said.
Maine received a lot of rain in June and July, and when samples were dug in August growers were optimistic that they would see above-average yields. But then the rains stopped and the tubers didn’t size up much after that, Flannery said.
It would be nice to the luxury of rain. It is dry,” he said.
Dry ground may make harvest a little more difficult, but the harvest is moving forward. Everyone wants to be out of the field by mid-October, so there’s no time to wait for rain to soften the soil, Flannery said.
Weather can change quickly during harvest season, and rain was forecast for the last week of September. Some water would help growers get out of the fields on time, but too much could cause growers to fall behind.
How is your harvest progressing, in Maine or elsewhere? Let Spudman know at [email protected].
-Scott Christie“
