Not everyone’s uncomfortable in the extreme heat we’re experiencing this week.
MSU Extension grape specialist Mike Reinke tells us crops actually do pretty well when it gets hot. He says once the temperatures get to be above about 90 degrees, many crops will sort of shut down, but they experience accelerated growth in the times around those temperature peaks.
“The closer it gets to that 90 degrees, the faster the plants like to grow,” Reinke said. “So the extreme heat during the middle of the day isn’t so much a problem, but it really benefits them in the evenings and the mornings.”
Of course, Reinke says high heat does lead to some other concerns with crops. He says farmers and Mother Nature have to make sure the plants are getting enough water.
“While the plants generally seem to like it, the plants, because they’re growing so fast, they have strong demands, especially water because water is used in the plant to move nutrients. And the more the plant is growing, the more nutrients it needs and the more water it needs.”
Reinke says coming out of a relatively mild winter, the soil in Southwest Michigan is a bit dry right now, so if the extreme heat continues, there will be a concern about crops not getting enough water. For now, though, he says they’re OK.
Reinke adds growers also have to be careful about applying pesticides when it’s this hot because plants could be more sensitive. However, he’s not worried about any widespread crop damage as a result of the heat at this point.
Reinke says overall, Southwest Michigan agriculture is looking pretty good right now.
