Smoky Skies and Reduced Air Quality Return to the Midwest and Mid-South
Wildfire smoke from Canada returned to the upper Midwest and extended to the Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic this week, resulting in poor air quality in some regions along with reduced visibility.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a report on Wednesday, saying “wildfire smoke from Canada will reduce air quality over parts of the Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, Western Ohio Valley, Central Appalachians, and Mid-Atlantic, prompting Air Quality Warnings over the area.”
Unhealthy levels of pollutants from the smoke spread across states in those regions including most of Michigan and Wisconsin and parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, according to tracker AirNow.gov.
The NWS is encouraging anyone with underlying lung conditions or asthma – especially children and the elderly – to limit their time outdoors in those regions affected by wildfire smoke.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) advises monitoring pets and farm animals that could also be affected by the smoke.
"If you can see or feel the effects of smoke yourself, you also should take precautions to keep your animals – both pets and livestock – safe," the AVMA encourages.
The wildfires range from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador, and 239 were categorized by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) on Tuesday as being “out of control.”
Reuters reports that Canada is wrestling with its worst-ever start to the wildfire season, which has already burned 6.5 million hectares (16 million acres), an area a little bigger than West Virginia.
Little Concern For Crops, So Far
USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey told Farm Journal editors last week that he doesn’t believe smoke from the fires – some of which have been burning several weeks now – has had any direct impact on row crops so far.
His greater concern is the indirect impact the smoke could have on crops, especially corn. Specifically, a concentration of smoke over a period of several weeks could contribute to lower temperatures and fewer growing degree units (GDUs) because of reduced solar radiation, Rippey explains.
Sunlight is critical for corn to maximize photosynthesis and crop yield, adds Mark Jeschke, Pioneer agronomy manager, in his in-depth online article, Is Smoke from Wildfires Affecting Crop Yields?
“Among the many potential effects on crop growth (from smoke coverage) are three primary factors with the capability to directly impact photosynthesis: reduced sunlight intensity, increased sunlight diffusion, and increased ozone (O3) levels,” Jeschke writes.
“Corn, in particular, is susceptible to reduced yields and reduced standability if the plants need to remobilize carbohydrates from the stalk to make up for a deficit in photosynthesis,” he adds. “This weakens the stalks and opens the door for stalk rot pathogens.”
