Storm Damage Recovery

Summer storms are here! They are already impacting Midwest farmers. According to Farm Journal Agronomist Ken Ferrie (1), recent heavy rainfall and hail have turned what was a genuinely nice season into an unfortunate episode requiring immediate triage.

Recent storms, especially in central Illinois, are devastating farmers. Ken Ferrie urges farmers to shift into strategic triage thinking mode to address nutrient deficiencies, disease pressure and weed problems asap. As we know, “triage thinking mode” is the process of prioritizing the recovery needs of the corn and soybean crops severely damage by hail and flooding.

According to Ken, corn fields recovery priorities can be assessed by thoroughly understanding the symptomatic color of the damaged plants. Color patterns signal different nutrient deficiencies in corn. Soybean crops display different symptoms from corn, but these symptoms are telling of what the plants need.

For corn, primary symptomatic color patterns are: (1)

• Plants turning pale green to yellow from top to bottom with lower leaves being tinted with orange. This color pattern indicates direct oxygen starvation and root injury. These plants will remain nonproductive if conditions do not improve quickly.
• Plants that are green at the soil level with yellow tops and distinct striping in the leaves. This pattern is an indication of sulfur deficiency.
• Plants with light green plant tops and lower leaves with burning down the midrib. This pattern signals nitrogen deficiency.

In soybeans, Ken notes that many fields have endured hail, have saturated soil and are beginning to face elevated disease and weed pressure. No matter the condition of the plants in the field, Ken advises “never walk away from a growing crop.”

Why does it matter?
Farmers with damaged fields will be spraying nutrient mixes, side dressing when possible, and flying nitrogen on to rain-soaked fields. All of this will be done as soon as possible. The objective will be to restore growing plants to health. Recovery of “a growing crop” will be the name of the game.

The strategic thinking mode is to “give the plant what it needs” in terms of nutrients required to overcome deficiency and make a recovery. Plant health, damage recovery, restoration of harvest potential of “a growing crop” are the objectives.

Strong strategic thinking goes beyond just “give the plant what it needs.” Strategic thinking recognizes that damaged crops are facing the important beginning of the recovery process.

This thinking is not limited to nutrients. This thinking recognizes the opportunity to stimulate the plant’s recovery; to stimulate the initiation and accelerating the plant’s own growth processes.

While these growth processes definitely require the nutrients being offered by the farmer, their initiation and acceleration can be stimulated by the growth eliciting effects of seaweed extracts (2,3).  Experience shows us that faster recovery, more complete recovery and satisfactory yields are the result of seaweed extract tank mixes with nutrient applications.

Tank mix with Ascophyllum nodosum extracts
Add Ocean Organics products to each nutrient spray, fungicide spray or herbicide tank. Spray the fields from the ground or fly the tank mix on. Use one to two quarts Ascophyllum nodosum extract per acre (3).

Our website documents several examples of recovery from hail and drought. Farmers tell us about recovery from soil saturation, herbicide damage, insect transmitted disease and frost damage (3).

References:
(1) Brooks, Wanda, June 25, 2026, “The Scoop Solutions For The Farmer’s Advisor”.
(2) Frontiers of Plant Sci., 07 September 2025. Sec. Plant Biotechnology
Volume 16 – 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1655340
(3) Ocean Organics. www.OceanOrganics.com.
(4) Ocean Organics July 2026. “Alfalfa’s Summer Slump.”

Which product should I use?

Grower’s stories tell about each of the products found to be successful (3). These include Guarantee Ag 0-0-1 Ascophyllum nodosum extract which assisted in the recovery of hail damaged wheat in Nebraska.

OMRI Listed Guarantee 0-0-6 Ascophyllum nodosum extract which is known for its contribution to potassium stomatal control during drought and heat conditions.

Guarantee Complex 0.2-0-6 Ascophyllum nodosum extract which contains potassium and amino acids. This product combats the carbohydrate draining effects of hot days and warm nights (4).

Newest among our family of products is Stress RX Ag 6-0-1containing Ascophyllum nodosum, nitrogen and a performance boosting dosage of proprietary osmo protectants. Stress RX Ag 6-0-1 is targeted for maintaining plant cell turgor under the toughest conditions.

Prepare!
Let your distributor know about Ocean Organics. Request they bring in a supply of Ocean Organics products before you need them. Or simply reply to this email and I can assist you.

If you are fortunate enough to miss the weather this summer, you will want to tank mix with these products next spring. Growers make Ascophyllum nodosum extracts part of their early season tank mixes.

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