Brandon Whitt's outlook is optimistic but Mother Nature is giving him cause for concern.MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -
Unrelenting summer heat and not enough rain is a troubling combination for farmers in Middle Tennessee.
Just outside Murfreesboro, Brandon Whitt of Batey Farms is raising almost 1,700 acres of cash crops including corn, soybeans and wheat.
His outlook is optimistic but Mother Nature is giving him cause for concern.
The heat and lack of rain are drying out the soil and potentially jeopardizing this year's crop.
He told Nashville's News 2, "If we don't get some cooler temperatures and a little bit of rainfall to go along with that, our corn yields are to be cut very significantly."
According to the National Weather Service, parts of Middle Tennessee are experiencing abnormally dry and in some instances, moderate drought conditions.
What's even more troubling for farmers is that the current drought has the potential to be even more severe than the drought that rocked Middle Tennessee in 2007.
That year, much of the state was suffering extreme or exceptional drought conditions.
According to Whitt, rain isn't just good for growing the corn, it also impacts the flavor. The more water in the soil, the sweeter the corn.
Check the latest forecast and radar conditions at WKRN.COM/Weather.
