Mallory speaks with WVII about rainy spring, effect on crops
Ellen Mallory, a University of Maine Cooperative Extension specialist and associate professor of sustainable agriculture, spoke with WVII (Channel 7) for a report about how the extra rain this spring can have an effect on crops, including strawberries and barley. The weather has pushed back planting dates for spring crops, according to UMaine researchers. “If you can’t get in the field for any reason, and you’re delayed by a couple weeks, well that plant doesn’t have enough time to mature and put on growth before it goes into a reproductive phase, and the yield can be severely damaged,” Mallory said. Although some local farmers had to choose to plant another crop because it was getting too late in the season, WVII reported, the delay is not devastating to most farmers, according to Mallory.