Arctic Blast Worries Wheat Growers

Experts: Too Early to Gauge Damage From Cold Snap

Air temperatures dipped into the single digits across South Dakota early Wednesday morning, and most areas in central South Dakota received from 1 1/2 to 3 inches of snow. Some wheat growers are concerned the frigid temperatures may have damaged their crop. (DTN file photo by Katie Micik)

DAVENPORT, Neb. (DTN) -- The recent blast of arctic cold and snow that has fallen on parts of the Midwest has some wheat growers worried about damage to their crops. However, most growers and experts agree that it is too early to tell the extent -- if any -- of the damage.

Still, wheat growers in Kansas seem to be moderately worried about the effects of the recent cold snap.

Bryce Anderson, DTN senior ag meteorologist, said Kansas set a new low-temperature record of +3 Fahrenheit Thursday November 13th, and in Yuma, Colorado a new unofficial low temperature record for November 13 was logged at -12 Fahrenheit. Temperatures in the southwestern Plains went from 10 to 15 degrees above normal during the Nov. 7-9 weekend to more than 30 degrees F below normal in just four days.

Those cold conditions present a danger to wheat, especially with the dry conditions that are plaguing some areas of Kansas, as dry soil cannot insulate wheat plants as well as moist soil.

Anderson said the last 60 days have been very dry in Kansas wheat country, with south-central and northwestern areas both totaling just 25% to 50% of normal precipitation.

The driest areas of Kansas are in the north central district, from about McPherson County north, extending from Norton, Graham and WaKeeney east to the Flint Hills. About the eastern fourth of the state is free of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Most of the western quarter of the state is listed in severe drought.

The very southwest corner of the state remains in extreme drought conditions, lessening geographically to the north and east.

Justin Knopf, a wheat grower in central Kansas, said that while he does not know for sure if any of his crop sustained damage, he is certainly concerned about the dramatic swing in temperatures, as it was around 70 degrees Fahrenheit the afternoon of Monday, Nov. 10, but dropped down to the single digits by early Tuesday morning.

He is most concerned about the late-planted wheat that was planted between Oct. 20 and 25, That wheat is not 100% emerged and doesn't have root systems yet.

Knopf added that he believes his earlier-planted wheat will likely be OK, as it had good moisture conditions, emerged fairly quickly and has a good root system. However, there has been no precipitation in Knopf's area since early October.

"The drier the soil, the less insulated it is and the more dramatically it can change temperature as air temperatures drop," he said. "Water is an insulator. The wetter the soil, the more insulated it is and the more slowly it will change when air temperatures cool off fast."

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Greg Graff, another Kansas wheat grower farms in Leoti, Kan., in the southwest part of the state, said he planted winter wheat starting in mid-September on summer-fallow fields, and then following his row-crop harvest up until Oct. 20, the insurance cut-off in his area.

He also believes his early-planted wheat should be fine, but the later-planted wheat might be at risk. However, Graff is somewhat optimistic about this year because of the moisture received this fall compared to last year when drier conditions resulted in a lot of winterkill in Kansas wheat fields. Still, the early November cold snap was earlier than usual and abrupt.

Graff also worries that his late-planted wheat could be at risk, but said that only time will tell.

Stewart Duncan, Kansas State University Research and Extension, northeast area crop soils specialist, said he is not overly concerned about damage to wheat, adding that only time will tell.

"We're just going to have to wait and see," he said. "I'm concerned about certain fields that are in dry spots, but we're not going to know until the wheat breaks dormancy in the spring."

LESS WORRY IN THE DAKOTAS

Bob Fanning, plant pathology field specialist at the Winner Regional Extension Office in south-central South Dakota, said that air temperatures dipped into the single digits early Wednesday morning, and most areas in central South Dakota received from 1 1/2 to 3 inches of snow.

While sudden cold weather is always a bit of a shock for wheat, Fanning said the automatic weather stations located around South Dakota have been hovering in the 30s or low 40s.

"I don't think it has been cold enough to be concerned yet," he said. "It will still depend on the rest of winter and how severe it gets."

Fanning added that there is a slight concern in some areas that are a little short on soil moisture, as well-hydrated wheat plants are healthier and able to withstand cold temperatures better. Also, when soil has better moisture, it holds in heat longer and doesn't change temperatures as quickly.

"I'd like to see the soil a little better hydrated," he said. "It's OK for now, but as it continues to get cold, soil that is a little on the dry side is more subject to injury."

Fanning said that the recent cold spell may be fortunate for wheat growers in South Dakota, as there were some issues with aphids cropped up in mid-October.

"We came up with some aphids about a month ago, but these cold temperatures have now shut them off, I think," Fanning said. "I don't know if they are all dead; some are down in the soil a ways. But it has really slowed them down, and the continued cold will take care of most of them."

North Dakota has also had cold weather in recent days, but no snow. Joel Ransom, extension agronomist of small grains and corn at North Dakota State University in Fargo, said, when soil temperatures drop, if can be quite harmful to small wheat seedlings at this stage with little snow cover.

"Typically, we think of most winter damage occurring in the spring when temperatures warm and then get cold again," Ransom said. "But there are some risks with cold temperatures this early without snow cover."

Ransom said, at this stage, there is no way to tell if wheat plants will die or not, but said it is reasonable to be somewhat concerned due to the lack of snow cover and continued long periods of cold, which will definitely penetrate the soil.

"Soil radiates heat for quite a while, but with prolonged periods of cold, you will see some drops in soil temperatures," he said.

The soil moisture has been somewhat variable in North Dakota, Ransom said.

"Soil moisture was pretty good for the early-planted wheat, but we didn't get any additional moisture for wheat that was planted later," he said. "Most wheat that got planted on time had enough to get a good start next spring."

He added that North Dakota doesn't grow nearly as much winter wheat as spring wheat: only between 200,000 and 400,000 acres of winter wheat.

Cheryl Anderson can be reached at cheryl.anderson@dtn.com

(AG/SK)

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