Photo by D. McIntosh, courtesy UTIA UT ecological systems engineer Eminé Fidan evaluates the extent of damage to croplands along the Nolichucky River where Hurricane Helene deposited feet of sand and silt. 

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UTIA researchers help farmers manage contaminants in croplands

KNOXVILLE. – Researchers with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture studying the effects of the enormous amount of water and sediment left on agricultural land in the wake of Hurricane Helene flooding have won a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue their work and share their findings with farmers impacted by the widespread agricultural damage.

The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded the grant of $275,000 to principal investigator and assistant professor Eminé Fidan and professor Shawn Hawkins of the UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, and Annette Engel, an esteemed Jones professor of aqueous geochemistry in the UT Knoxville Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

Damage to Tennessee agriculture from Hurricane Helene flooding in fall 2024 is estimated at more than $1.3 billion, which includes crop losses, structures, revenue loss, debris removal and long-term reclamation. UTIA researchers and Extension specialists were deployed in the aftermath to study the sediments left behind and determine the impacts on the soil.

“This project will address the critical need for assessing and managing flood deposits in four counties in Tennessee where surface waters are used for crop irrigation and where soil quality is crucial for tomatoes, soybean, corn, tobacco and other crops,” Fidan says. “Our work is essential for understanding the immediate challenges and long-term impacts on agroecosystem health and food safety, and for developing strategies that will benefit farmers in future seasons.”

The impacted counties include Cocke, Greene, Unicoi and Washington, all of which suffered extensive damage to agricultural land. The team will provide local Extension agents with information about contaminants in flood deposits and work with local agricultural producers to develop strategies to manage soil health and water quality.

“By engaging local stakeholders, we aim to improve long-term resilience, support public health and contribute actionable knowledge to communities recovering from extreme weather events,” the team said.

Fidan, an ecological systems engineer, and Hawkins, a specialist in animal waste management, are members of a team of UTIA researchers and Extension specialists that has been engaged in a recovery initiative formed in the immediate aftermath of the flooding. The team, whose efforts aim to assist the farmers, residents and communities harmed by the storm, has conducted economic impact analyses; geographic information system modeling; sediment and soil analysis for production and contaminants; education on forage and fruit and vegetable production; streambank restoration techniques; and more.

On Aug. 20, 2025, the team will report on the initiative and the region’s recovery at a field day coordinated by Bruno Pedreira, UT Extension forage specialist and director of the UT Beef and Forage Center, and David McIntosh, center coordinator and researcher in the UT Department of Plant Sciences.

“Farmers are facing big challenges in restoring their land. This field day is meant to share valuable lessons from farm visits after Hurricane Helene and to show demonstration plots on an affected farm and share some of the early results,” Pedreira says.

“Supporting our East Tennessee producers with enhanced engagement in the hurricane-affected areas is our top priority as a team,” McIntosh says. “This initiative is tackling unprecedented challenges, and thanks to the dedication of the entire community, we are finding solutions together like never before.”

The in-person field day will take place in Washington County, at the Runion Farm, 269 Bent Road in Limestone, Tennessee. On-site registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. EDT, with the program starting at 9 a.m. The event will end at 3 p.m. A sponsored lunch will be provided. This event is open to the public and is free to attend, bringing together folks from across the affected counties of Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington. Pre-registration is encouraged for planning purposes but not required. To register, go online to tiny.utk.edu/Flood.

The field day will feature demonstrations, discussions and a community trade show. Presentations will focus on farmland recovery; recovery project tours for forages and riparian zone; large-scale field demonstrations with drone seeding, biochar manufacturing and other planting techniques; and updates from partnering agencies. Networking opportunities will include visiting with local producers and a trade show featuring sponsors, recovery groups and local vendors.

For more details on UTIA’s flood recovery efforts, please reach out to your local UT/TSU Extension office. To sponsor or attend the event as a vendor, please contact David McIntosh at utbeef@tennessee.edu.

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.