Heat and Floods Threaten U.S. Crops, Urgent Action Needed

Heatwaves and floods are damaging essential crops like corn, wheat, rice, and tomatoes—threatening food and nutrition security.

Recent weeks have seen an increase in extreme weather events—from heatwaves across the Midwest to flash flooding in Texas, Maryland, and New York.

Although these events have had significant and measurable impacts on humans, the detrimental effects on agriculture rarely make headlines—a gap that urgently needs to be addressed.

Most concerning is the noticeable lack of dialogue and focused attention by researchers, policymakers, and other key stakeholders in agricultural crop production and food systems—a gap that must also be closed.

It’s time for researchers, policymakers, governments, media, and stakeholders across agriculture and food systems to engage more urgently in addressing not just human impact, but also how these events harm crops and the microbial communities that support soil and crop health.

Heat and flooding impact vital crops such as corn, wheat, rice, and vegetables like tomatoes—threatening food and nutritional security.

These impacts range from altered growth patterns and decimated crop acres to tons of vegetables rendered unsellable due to contamination from floodwaters. All of these losses carry significant financial costs.

For example, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture estimated crop-related flooding damage in Arkansas in 2025 to be $78.9 million.

Indeed, recent research from U.S. universities shows that these events negatively affect crop growth and yields, reducing agricultural revenue while increasing prices and crop insurance payouts.

Heatwaves and flooding also disrupt plant physiology and metabolism, hindering vital processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, antioxidant defenses, and reactive oxygen species scavenging—ultimately reducing productivity and yields.

These losses directly affect farmers, who lose both crops and income. The consequences are passed on to consumers through higher prices. In 2024, for example, the American Farm Bureau Federation reported that U.S. farmers lost $20.3 billion due to weather disasters, including floods and heatwaves.

Extreme weather also impacts the complex network of belowground microbes that maintain soil health and drive essential processes like nutrient and water cycling. Flooding depletes beneficial soil microbes and affects other organisms such as earthworms.

Because belowground and aboveground systems are tightly linked, damage to soil microbes often translates into reduced crop health and productivity.

Researchers are now rising to the challenge of mitigating the effects of these extreme events—both during and after their occurrence.

In the case of flooding, emerging studies reveal that applying nitrogen-based fertilisers immediately afterward can help rescue crops. However, this approach is not sustainable due to nitrogen’s negative environmental effects, such as groundwater pollution and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers must therefore look beyond nitrogen.

Fortunately, the agricultural market offers sustainable alternatives like biostimulants and microbial inoculants—products containing live microorganisms such as mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. These have potential to mitigate damage from extreme weather and deserve further research.

Encouragingly, some progress is being made. For instance, a recent study showed that foliar spraying tomato plants with microbes improved their tolerance to acute heatwave stress. Review papers are also emerging to consolidate existing knowledge and shape future research.

This line of research needs funding to ensure that both the promise and challenges of biostimulants—such as lack of regulation, inconsistent terminology, and concerns about introduced microbes mutating—can be addressed. The global market for biostimulants is projected to reach USD 7.84 billion by 2030.

There’s also a growing need for long-term solutions. Regenerative agriculture, including the use of cover crops, offers promise. Recent studies confirm that cover crops can reduce flooding impacts and improve resilience to extreme weather.

Cover crops are primarily grown to improve water infiltration, soil health, and structure, while also preventing erosion. They absorb excess soil water and enhance soil physical properties, making them powerful tools for mitigating extreme weather.

Adoption of cover crops is growing in the U.S.—up 17% from 2017 to 2022—according to satellite-based analysis of 100,000 fields. However, challenges remain, and more research is needed to overcome adoption barriers and evaluate potential drawbacks.

Looking ahead, projections suggest that extreme weather will continue to increase in both frequency and intensity.

It is imperative for researchers, policymakers, governments, the media, and food system stakeholders to act swiftly—not only to protect people but also to safeguard crops and the microbial ecosystems that sustain agriculture.

By documenting and understanding these impacts through scientific research, we can begin to develop sustainable, evidence-based short- and long-term solutions. The time to act is now.