Last month, Iowa and Nebraska suffered from record flooding that devasted the area. Major rivers such as the Mississippi reached historic levels, flooding numerous towns and forcing millions to evacuate. The disastrous flooding caused extreme damage to homes, businesses and farms.

While repairs are underway and floodwaters are starting to recede in the Corn Belt region, landowners are hard at work mending the damage to their farms.

In a recent article written by Jason Clark, South Dakota State University Extension soil fertility specialist, that appeared on AgUpdate.com, Clark states that after a flood, the two main problems landowners are faced with after a flood on their farms are erosion and the alteration of plant-available nutrients in the soil.

“During floods, your fields will experience different amounts of erosion, sediment deposition and crop residue accumulation,” Clark stated in the article. “To avoid compaction of these soils it is crucial to let soils drain and dry out sufficiently before removing any large debris from fields or working the soil.”

Extreme flooding causes serious damage to farmland and if not treated quickly, could cause long-term damage. However, there are steps landowners can take to help manage and keep the soil on their land thriving.

Clark suggests that an essential first step for landowners is to test the soil and to do it when the soil surface is dry to get the best results. He also gives great tips for soybean farmers. “When planting soybean after flooding, the seed should be inoculated to help ensure nodulation and nitrogen fixation as flooding can reduce some of the microbial populations responsible for this process.”

Clark offers more examples of steps to take in the full article. Head over to AgUpdate to read it.

Need to talk to someone about your Midwest property? Feel free to reach out to one of our Midwest Land Professionals who can help guide you, whether you’re buying or selling land in the area.