Arkansas agriculture experts say it could be early next week before farmers in many areas of the state are able to return to their fields to plant row crops.
Heavy rains this week dropped nearly 7 inches of rain in some parts of Arkansas, though in northwestern Arkansas rainfall has been minimal.
From the rice fields, Jarrod Hardke, an agronomist with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, said about 10 percent of the state's rice acreage had been planted before storms Wednesday and Thursday. He said one concern is for new levees that might not withstand floodwaters, but that most rice seed should be fine as long as fields weren't eroded.
Rice that must be re-planted will be out of sync with other fields, perhaps raising harvest issues later.
