As the Magic Valley region in southern Idaho prepares for potentially record-setting heat this week, farmers, potato researchers and dairy scientists are all voicing concerns.
The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings locally from Monday through Thursday.
Heat impact on potatoes
Potatoes are almost synonymous with Idaho and for good reason. Idaho produces nearly ? of all U.S. potatoes. In times of excess heat, this crop can suffer lower yields and quality.
Nora Olsen, University of Idaho professor and extension potato specialist, said anomaly on top of longer days can be a lot for any crop, including potatoes. In high temperatures, potatoes will shut down and stop growing. This can cause situations of start and stop growth patterns that are not ideal for growing potatoes.
Another thing growers are worried about with the early heat is a lack of ground covering. Once potatoes grow they touch each other and this helps keep the soil cooler. This is called row closure. Olsen said some areas have reached row closure and others have not.
Hot soil and hot temperatures can cause a disorder called “sugar ends.” “This is not a disorder we will see until harvest and when we make french fries out of them,” Olsen said.
Affected potatoes will show higher sugar content and make darker-colored french fries. This leads to concerns over quality. Compounding the issue of heat can be water availability. It can be difficult to make sure you have enough water on the crop, Olsen said.
“We are like pulling our hair out right now trying to figure out how to irrigate the crop and to do it in a manner that both supplies water and tries to cool the crop down,” Olsen said. She said the conditions this year are not ideal but they have seen events like this before.
Source: The Times-News
