AgricultureNews

Evaluating Fall Frost Risk to Your Crops

By Tyce Masich, AAg, Crops Extension Specialist, Outlook and Shayla Chaykowski, Summer Student, Outlook


Harvest is in full swing across Saskatchewan and cool fall temperatures are beginning to set in. Producers need to assess the risk of fall frost in their crops so potential action can be taken to limit its damaging effects.

Much of the province experienced cool and wet conditions early in the growing season which slowed development for many crops. This delays maturity and pushes back harvest making crops more susceptible to freezing conditions in the fall. Crops were able to develop rapidly during the hot and dry conditions in July which sped up maturity, but many crops are still standing and could experience frost damage if freezing conditions occur. Northwest Saskatchewan is furthest behind in harvest progress and has come close to frost as temperatures dipped below 2 C in August according to the Crop Report. This means crops in northern Saskatchewan are most susceptible to frost damage and producers should monitor temperatures during harvest.

Preventative measures that can be taken to mitigate the risk of frost damage depend on the crop. For canola, it is prone to frost damage when moisture content is above 20 per cent and early swathing may protect yield if crop is swathed at least 72 hours before freezing. However, early swathing can hurt yield so this should only be considered if a major freezing event is in the forecast. There isn’t much that can be done to mitigate the risk of fall frost damage in cereal crops. As the crop matures into the hard dough stage, it becomes more tolerant to freezing temperatures. Freezing in earlier dough stages may cause kernels to shrivel which hurts the quality and yield of the crop. Additionally, freezing temperatures can lower the viability of seeds being replanted. Producers should test their seed for germination and vigour if they are considering planting frost-damaged kernels in the future. Frost can cause lentil and pea seeds to become water soaked. Damage occurs in these crops when temperatures reach -2 C during flowering and -3 C to -4 C during podding. Soybeans are prone to yield loss when temperatures dip below -1 C for an extended period.

Monitoring the weather forecast and scouting fields after frost is essential for producers to determine how freezing temperatures may affect their crops. To learn more, please read more about Frost and Green Seed in Canola or contact your local crops extension specialist.

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