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Crops and wet feet
Dr. Victor Martin
Published: May 28, 2021, 4:55 PM

As of May 25 the Drought Monitor report continues to indicate improvement for soil moisture conditions for the western portion of the state with no real change in our area. None of the rains from Tuesday are reflected in the report.  With the predicted rains today and into Monday, Kansas will stay out of drier soil conditions. The six to ten-day outlook (June 2 to 6) indicates below normal temperatures and slightly above normal precipitation south of Barton County below normal to our northwest. The eight to 14 day outlook (June 4 to June 10) indicates continued below normal temperatures and normal precipitation. This is good news for the wheat crop as it will allow it to mature at a normal rate and not terminate development early. After the anticipated rains today and tomorrow, this should also provide a chance for farmers to get back into the fields. Parts of the state this past week experienced torrential rains and flooding conditions. While the area immediately around Great Bend didn’t, flooded fields are close by. What effect will standing water have on crops in the field?

• First, what factors play a role in how damaging standing water is for crops? How long is the field flooded? Naturally the longer the time the more damaging. How warm is it? Crops can better cope with standing water under cooler conditions. Hot weather stresses the crop more quickly. How deep is the standing water relative to the height of the crop? Having the crop totally under water is naturally worse than if most of the crop is above water. Is the water standing or moving? Rapidly moving water can cause lodging.

• Second, how do flooded conditions effect crops? The root system supplies the whole plant with water and essential nutrients. Root cells, like any other living cells need oxygen to respire so if oxygen is limited, root cells have trouble maintaining themselves and growing, producing new root mass. Roots must constantly grow and explore the soils as that is where most water and nutrient uptake comes from. Just like us, crops aren’t efficient at extracting oxygen from water. If the saturated conditions last long enough, roots die and the crop dies. Even if the crop doesn’t die, the effects of standing water can result in nutrient deficiencies, stunted growth and a lack of turgor (plants wilting). The effects also have to do with the stage of growth. Just germinated or emerged plants are more severely affected more rapidly. The more mature the plant, the better able it is to survive. Even if the plant does survive, several days of standing water is likely to negatively impact yield. Also important is that these saturated conditions can lead to diseases such as root rot, seedling blight, and damping off.

• Third, the type of plant affects the plants ability to handle flooding conditions. Grass crops such as corn, wheat, and sorghum develop a fibrous shallow root system. This root system, concentrated near the soil surface is better situated to survive as it is closer to the surface and be able to obtain oxygen. Broadleaf crops such as soybean, canola, cotton, and alfalfa possess tap root systems. And the root system is much less fibrous. Flooded soils therefore cause serious damage and even plat death more quickly. The saying is that broadleaf crops don’t like wet feet and that’s why.

As always there are more possible effects such as increased weed pressure, loss of nutrients such as nitrogen, and newly planted seeds in standing water for several days will likely see decreased stands.


Dr. Victor L. Martin is the agriculture instructor/coordinator for Barton Community College. He can be reached at 620-792-9207, ext. 207.
Pawnee Valley Community Hospital now offers proven PAD treatment
pvch-set-pad
Sayra Santacruz, respiratory therapist, and Dusty Thacker, director of Cardiopulmonary Services at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, demonstrate supervised exercise therapy for patients with peripheral artery disease.
Published: Apr 3, 2025, 1:50 PM

Anyone who has a diagnosis of peripheral artery disease (PAD) now has access to a “proven, effective treatment” at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH), said Dusty Thacker, director of Cardiopulmonary Services.

The treatment is called supervised exercise therapy (SET) and is specifically tailored to PAD, a condition in which blood vessels to the legs and feet become narrowed or blocked. This is due to a build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries that limits blood flow.

“SET is a structured workout program designed to help people improve their physical health under the guidance of a trained professional,” Thacker said. “Sessions are tailored to the person’s needs and focus on improving strength, endurance and mobility.

“The treatment also helps improve circulation, which can reduce or eliminate pain while walking.”

Exercise sessions typically involve a combination of aerobics, strength training and stretching. This includes walking on a treadmill at a moderate pace, with an incline, until the patient begins to feel mild to moderate leg pain.

The patient then rests until the pain subsides before resuming the exercise during up to 36 sessions with a registered respiratory therapist.

“SET is a key treatment approach that focuses on improving blood flow, reducing leg pain and enhancing overall mobility,” Thacker summarized.

Smoking and diabetes are the strongest risk factors for PAD, Thacker noted. Other factors include being over 75; high blood pressure and/or cholesterol; not enough physical activity; stress; diets high in saturated fats; obesity; chronic kidney disease; and family history.

“A few classic symptoms of PAD are pain, burning or cramping in your legs and feet during an activity that improve with rest,” Thacker said.

Others are leg and foot pain at night or while lying down, as well as coldness or numbness in the legs or feet. Additional possibilities are leg weakness or heaviness, slow-healing sores on feet or legs, discolored skin and leg-hair loss.

The therapist offers education about smoking cessation, a heart-healthy diet, weight management, blood pressure control and increasing physical activity.

“We are pleased that we now offer this important exercise therapy,” Thacker commented. “Many of our patients have benefited from our Cardiac Rehab and Pulmonary Rehab services by gaining control of their symptoms, improving their quality of life and reducing the risk of future hospitalizations.

“SET is a similar service. Patients with PAD now have a treatment that can help them manage symptoms and improve overall vascular health.

“We are excited to expand our cardiopulmonary services and incredibly fortunate to partner with HaysMed and the DeBakey Heart Institute. This collaboration connects our Larned community with any necessary advanced services and direct access to cardiologists. It allows us to offer specialized care close to home, significantly enhancing the quality of care and positively impacting our patients’ health and well-being.”


Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, 923 Carroll in Larned, is a 25-bed facility, offering many services not typically available in a smaller facility. Included are 24/7 emergency care; acute, skilled and specialized nursing; surgery; high-tech imaging and laboratory tests; wound care; rehabilitation; and sleep and diagnostic center. PVCH Family Medicine provides the full range of family-medicine services; physician-assisted weight loss; and women’s health services. The hospital’s number is 620-285-3161; the clinic’s number is 620-804-6007.