Thursday, December 29, 2022
Agri Food Tech News
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • AgriTech
  • FoodTech
  • Farming
  • Organic Farming
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Food Safety
  • Fertilizers
  • Lifestyle
No Result
View All Result
Agri Food Tech News
  • Home
  • AgriTech
  • FoodTech
  • Farming
  • Organic Farming
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Food Safety
  • Fertilizers
  • Lifestyle
No Result
View All Result
Agri Food Tech News
No Result
View All Result

Protecting farms during the winter months

by agrifood
December 22, 2022
in Lifestyle
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
0
Home Lifestyle
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Winter is hard on everyone, but the cold months can have especially drastic effects on farms. For example, frost can cause damage and significant yield loss for plants grown in late fall and early spring. Or, if you’re in the Southeast, effects from winter can be a battle for crops grown all through the winter months.

Here are some interesting ways farmers can protect their crops from a harsh winter:

Sprinklers

Some crops, like blueberries, can be protected by turning on sprinklers and allowing the water to freeze over the berries. The frozen water insulates the berries and protects them from extremely low temperatures or sudden shifts in temperature that can happen in the south.

Freezing water around the berries prevents the berries themselves from freezing solid and later defrosting which would change the taste and texture of harvested berries.


Heating

Of course, heating is one way to fight the cold. You often would think of heating indoor greenhouses, but we can heat outdoor crop fields and orchards with a variety of methods. One such methods that is often used in fruit and citrus orchards is simply using propane, natural gas, or oil heaters throughout the fields. These devices are placed strategically around to spread the heat evenly to the nearby plants. Too much heat can damage surrounding plants so this method has to be carefully done! This is a good method to use for medium to high height plants since the heaters are relatively tall.

For low-ground plants, an interesting heating method can be used. Hay, straw, or some other flammable material can be spread between the rows or blocks and set on fire to generate enough heat to protect crops from frost. This method is used for quick action due to an unsuspected frost occurring or generally for smaller acreage operations. Since you have to stay up all night and tend to the fires, in addition to having good weather conditions that will dissipate smoke away from where it may affect humans, this method is not as often as used.


Wind machines

On clear, calm nights, the air at the ground is colder than the air above it — this is called a temperature inversion. In this case, we can bring the warmer air from above to the crop level. We can do this using wind machines, and sometimes even helicopters!

This method is relatively effective and can increase the temperature by nearly 10 degrees Fahrenheit! However, the wind machine/helicopter method is rather expensive, especially if you have to hire a helicopter, so it is traditionally only done on high value crops and large acreage operations.


Covering

One of the most traditional ways to protect crops from freezing temperatures and frost is to cover them. This method can be done with plastic, hoop houses, or even with natural materials like straw and hay. This help reduce heat loss from the ground and trap what heat is lost into the air around the plants to maintain appropriate temperatures. Covering can also reduce moisture on the plants which can increase heat loss. This method is most common for bedded plants, particularly in the southeast where crops are growing throughout the winter and are susceptible to frost damage.

Winter can be a difficult time for farmers; there is much to be done to protect crops and livestock alike in addition to all the normal things like shoveling driveways and roofs, etc. However, winter also gives farmers a time to show just how innovative and capable they are!


Michelle Miller, the “Farm Babe,” is an internationally recognized keynote speaker, writer, and social media influencer and travels full time to advocate for agriculture. She comes from an Iowa-based row crop and livestock farming background and now resides on a timber farm in North Central Florida.

Sponsored Content on AGDaily

(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8&appId=320025038337187”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));



Source link

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Share30Tweet19
Previous Post

The Infinite Christmas Tree: How to Cut Your Tree So it Will Grow Again

Next Post

Farm safety: Unsafe machinery repairs can end tragically

Recommended For You

Cedar fever season in Texas

by agrifood
December 28, 2022
0

Cedar fever season is upon us once again, complete with runny noses, itchy eyes and general misery. But what exactly is cedar fever and why is it so...

Read more

Urban pest management event Jan. 11-13 in Bryan

by agrifood
December 27, 2022
0

The 77th Texas A&M University Urban Pest Management Conference and Workshop will be held Jan. 11-13 at the Brazos Center, 3232 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan. The Texas A&M University...

Read more

Step Up, Scale Down course Jan. 11 in Lubbock

by agrifood
December 26, 2022
0

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Lubbock County will offer the 12-week series, Step Up and Scale Down, beginning Jan. 11. Cory Edwards, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension...

Read more

Ten Features to Revisit This Holiday Season

by agrifood
December 26, 2022
0

As we look back and reflect on the year that was, we here at Modern Farmer want to take this opportunity to highlight a few of our favorite...

Read more

Women: The (often) unsung heroes of agriculture

by agrifood
December 23, 2022
0

Women have always been integral to agriculture, so the glass ceilings here look slightly different. They’re filled with open spaces, barns, cattle, and crops. And even in a...

Read more
Next Post

Farm safety: Unsafe machinery repairs can end tragically

Top-10 New Product Winner Awarded to GUSS Automation

LATEST UPDATES

Food Safety

Select outbreaks posted by CDC, and FDA sickened hundreds in 2022

by agrifood
December 28, 2022
0

This year saw the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued notices on 11 multi-state foodborne illness outbreaks, ranging from...

Igor brand cheese recall expanded in Canada after testing finds Listeria

December 28, 2022

Brazilian archbishop is threatened for defending Indigenous peoples — even during Mass

December 28, 2022

Cedar fever season in Texas

December 28, 2022

In Brazil’s Amazon, Quilombolas fight major palm oil firm for access to cemeteries

December 28, 2022

eGroceries and restaurant marletplaces dominate top 2022 deals

December 28, 2022

Get the free newsletter

Browse by Category

  • AgriTech
  • Farming
  • Fertilizers
  • Food Safety
  • FoodTech
  • Lifestyle
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Organic Farming
  • Uncategorized
Agri Food Tech News

Agri FoodTech News provides in-depth journalism and insight into the most impactful news and updates about shaping the business of Agriculture

CATEGORIES

  • AgriTech
  • Farming
  • Fertilizers
  • Food Safety
  • FoodTech
  • Lifestyle
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Organic Farming
  • Uncategorized

RECENT UPDATES

  • Select outbreaks posted by CDC, and FDA sickened hundreds in 2022
  • Igor brand cheese recall expanded in Canada after testing finds Listeria
  • Brazilian archbishop is threatened for defending Indigenous peoples — even during Mass
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact us

Copyright © 2022 - Agri FoodTech News .
Agri FoodTech News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • AgriTech
  • FoodTech
  • Farming
  • Organic Farming
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Food Safety
  • Fertilizers
  • Lifestyle

Copyright © 2022 - Agri FoodTech News .
Agri FoodTech News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

%d bloggers like this: