The High Plains has seen unusually mild fall temperatures, even reaching record highs in many areas.
But now the temperatures are dropping and the question becomes, how will the weather switch affect High Plains farmland?
More specifically, after the unseasonable warmth, will winter wheat be ready for the drop in temperatures? As AgProfessional.com reports, the short answer is, “Probably so.”
Just because the wheat has responded heartily to warmth, doesn’t mean the grain won’t be able to withstand the cold. A hard freeze will “burn back” the earlier growth, but the plants underneath will probably have developed enough winterhardiness to withstand the cold to come. But farmers will be keeping a close eye on their crops.
No matter how hardy a crop is, winter wheat can still be injured or even killed by temperatures in the single digits—or by prolonged periods of warmth in the winter. Plants are affected by both the temperature itself, and the duration of that temperature.