An intensifying midsummer drought now blankets roughly three-quarters of Maine, and potato growers say the timing could not be worse, writes Paula Brewer in a news story published by Bangor Daily News.
The U.S. Drought Monitor lists central Maine as “abnormally dry,” with conditions worsening to “moderate” and “severe” farther south. In Aroostook County—epicenter of the state’s $540 million potato economy—Caribou has logged just 0.87 inches of rain this month, 1.5 inches below normal.
Seed producer Daniel Corey reports plants “drooping by midday” on his 1,000-acre operation near Monticello; even running three to four irrigation pivots only reaches about 20 percent of his crop. “The calendar’s telling me I’ve got to kill tops, but the tubers aren’t sized up,” he warns.
Many Aroostook farms are now irrigating nonstop, yet wilting leaves and dusty soils indicate yield losses are likely. Rain shortfalls extend statewide: Bangor, Millinocket and Frenchville are each roughly two inches behind normal August precipitation.
Neighboring Canadian provinces report their driest season in a decade, underscoring a wider Northeast moisture deficit.
Source: Bangor Daily News. Full story here
Image: Irrigation equipment sprays much-needed water onto a Presque Isle-area field on Thursday. Credit: Paula Brewer / The County
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