indoor heat

Record-Breaking Heat Streak Hurting Crops

Taylor Hillman Fruits & Vegetables

The unrelenting triple-digit heat streak in many valleys of California is starting to affect crops. Burford Ranch said last week that they are finally seeing the effects in the Central Valley. “Yes, I am starting to see them now,” Farm Manager Sal Parra said. “From last week to this week, I am starting to see plants go down quick.”

Temperatures have topped out well over 100-degrees on the west side of the Central Valley for nearly a month. Parra said the heat simply overtakes the plant after that amount of consecutive days. “A week of 100-degree weather is tolerable by most plants, even two weeks they can still do,” Parra said, “But now we are getting into the third and fourth week, that really starts taking a toll.”

Parra said a lot of the plants and vines are starting to just collapse because it’s too hot. “The crop can’t keep up with evapotranspiration and they’re going down quick.”