Irrigation to help crops survive drought was costly for Suffolk County, New York growers
10/19/2022 2:08:47 PM
CATEGORIES:
Agriculture
Plants & Wildlife
AFFECTED AREAS:
Suffolk County, NY
Calverton, NY
Start Date: 6/1/2022
- End Date: 10/18/2022
Many Suffolk County growers were able to water their crops adequately during the hot, droughty summer, but noted that production costs were much higher due to the need to irrigate heavily. Diesel and fertilizer, for instance, were much more expensive. One farmer raised his prices 15% to cover the extra costs.
Some pumpkin varieties did not produce as much fruit this year. Blackberries were flowering during the high heat and did not get pollinated.
The dry weather kept disease pressure low. Wine grapes thrived during the hot, dry summer and produced excellent grapes.
The Suffolk Times (Mattituck, N.Y.), Oct 18, 2022
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