"Wheat crop in Enzkreis is under threat due to heavy rain leading to a fungal infection"
In the Enz district of Germany, farmer Axel Keller is facing challenges due to a mold infestation in his wheat crop. The issue stems from heavy rainfall in July, which has left the wheat on the fields, leading to mold growth and sprouting kernels.
Axel Keller, who farms on his parents' property in Ölbronn-Dürrn, grows wheat, barley, spelt, rye, oats, and tends to 100 dairy cows. The rain is causing difficulties for many farmers in the region, but not all are affected equally.
The quality of the wheat decreases when it is infected with mold or sprouts, as measured by the falling number. If the falling number is too low, the wheat can no longer be used for the food industry due to poor baking quality. This means that lower quality wheat will be sold as animal feed instead, resulting in less money for farmers.
Other farmers in the region, such as those in the Neckar-Alb area, are also grappling with the bad weather. In the Calw district, other types of grain are still on the fields and exposed to the rain. The rape has suffered from the drought in spring, so the harvest is not as abundant.
However, the trading company looks positively at the wheat, barley, oat, and spelt harvest in the Enz district, despite the challenges faced by some farmers. In the Karlsruhe district, most of the grain was already ripe and harvested before the bad weather.
The ZG Raiffeisen published further information on the grain balance in the region on Tuesday, but no specific details about the extent of the losses suffered by Axel Keller and other farmers in the Enz district have been reported.
As for the future, the weather forecast for the next few days is not specified in the article.
While this event is not unique, it serves as a reminder of the potential impacts of extreme weather events on agriculture. Heavy rainfall can lead to crop yield reductions, delayed harvests, economic impacts on farmers, post-event soil nutrient leaching, and erosion affecting subsequent cropping cycles. However, without specific data or reports on the 2022 event in the Enz district, these impacts remain generalized assumptions.
For detailed, localized impact assessments, it is recommended to consult regional agricultural extension services or local government reports from the Enz district, German agricultural meteorological or environmental agencies, or scientific studies or news articles focused on the July 2022 weather events in Baden-Württemberg, where the Enz district is located.
Despite the challenges faced by farmer Axel Keller in the Enz district due to mold infestation in his wheat crop, the weather forecast for the next few days remains uncertain. The trading company, however, maintains a positive outlook for the wheat, barley, oat, and spelt harvest in the Enz district, but specific losses have not been reported yet. Weather-forecasting data could help farmers like Axel prepare for potential weather-related issues in the future, which could affect crop yield and weather-forecasting should be considered a vital tool for farming in regions like the Enz district.
