Dry Spell Decreases Yields for Local Growers | News, Sports, Jobs – theintelligencer.net

|Photo provided by Eric Freeland| Wellsburg- based farmer Eric Freeland had to take extra steps to irrigate particular crops in order to negate the impact of less rainfall this year.

Wheeling farmers hope for gray skies, as harvests were negatively impacted due to this year being the ninth driest ever recorded in the city, according to the National Weather Service.

Wheeling’s average rainfall this year of 31.49 inches fell four inches short of the average expected rainfall for the city of 35.77 inches, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Jared Raclyley.

“This year, we saw much fewer thunderstorms in the area where we tend to pick up that summer precipitation,” said Raclyley. “Plus, we had a drier-than-usual winter last winter.”

While rainfall is lower than average, Wheeling is not at risk of entering a drought, clarified Raclyley. Highlighting the potential benefits of lower precipitation, he explained that the chance of flooding in the city has been decreased since streams in the area can take on more water.

Though the general population will face little impact from less rainfall, farmers whose yields rely on consistent precipitation throughout the year have felt the repercussions.

To keep the bees at his apiary healthy, Windswept Farms owner John Welty needs a steady stream of rain all year, as precipitation in the summer months is vital for honey production in the fall.

Following a “very dry July,” Welty explained there were insufficient blooms in plants such as milkweed and asters. These plants and other flowers provide a vital supply of pollen and nectar for bees.

“Bees need the carbohydrates from pollen to feed their babies and stay warm during the winter,” said Welty. “When they’re flying around and whatnot, they need the carbohydrates to do that, and without the honey stores that come from the nectar, they can’t do that.”

Needing at least 100 pounds of honey to feed his bees over the winter months, there was no honey left for Welty to harvest in the fall due to his bees’ low production.

Apart from losing out on his own honey supply, Welty now has concerns for the general bee population due to the lack of rainfall. He explained that the insects are “more susceptible to cold weather, diseases and viruses” when they lack the energy provided by pollen and nectar.

“It affects the bees the exact same way it would affect you if you didn’t have the carbohydrates, proteins and the proper vitamins necessary to sustain life,” explained Welty. “You get weaker, and for bees, that means being unable to fly.

If they can’t fly, they can’t forage, so they can’t bring back the pollen and nectar to feed the babies.”

While beekeepers can supplement nutrition for their bees using artificial pollen or sugar water, Welty explained bees in the wild freeze and die when they lack the energy to create enough warmth for their colony during the winter.

Describing the insects as “amazing but brittle,” Welty fears that this year’s dry spell creates inhospitable conditions for bees in the wild.

“There’s no question that if the bees are left to their own devices, they do not fare well right now in today’s environment at all,” added Welty. “They have to be managed, unfortunately.”

Though his yield was not as significantly affected as Welty’s honey harvest, Wellsburg-based farmer Eric Freeland noted that certain crops, such as sweet corn and tomatoes, were not as large due to less rainfall.

“The sweet corn didn’t grow as tall and the ears were a little bit smaller because they didn’t have that rainfall when they were first growing and needed water,” said Freeland. “There was kind of a stunted growth in that final crop.”

Being able to “mitigate” much of the potential damage caused by low rainfall, Freeland explained that adding compost in the soil or hay on top of the soil helps the crops hold water.

The farmer also performed “a little bit of irrigation” on more sensitive plants like strawberries.

“We’re not going to be able to go out and spray millions of gallons of water, but we were able to use some limited amounts of water,” said Freeland. “We want to specifically target new plants, especially new plantings of tomatoes, as they need a lot of ‘TLC’ until they get established.”

Putting in the irrigation lines “adds some expense” for Freeland, who noted that when dry weather comes, he employs “every trick in the book” to minimize potential damage.

“We go through this dry spell, and then next year might be just the opposite,” mused Freeland. “Farms get flooded out when there’s too much water, which is almost just as bad or worse than having not enough water.”

Darker skies may soon be on the radar, as Raclyley explained, weather conditions have switched from a La Niña to an El Niño episode, which results in less snowfall but more rainfall. The daily forecast will soon catch up with the switch, he noted, spelling out storms on the horizon.

“It’s fairly unusual to have two back-to-back dry years,” added Raclyley. “As for exactly what happens next year, it’s hard to say at this point looking forward.”