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Frosty temperatures threaten emerging crops

A pair of agronomists say farmers need to utilize patience when evaluating newly emerged corn and soybean crops for potential freeze damage.

Lance Tarochione, who covers western Illinois with Dekalb / Asgrow, says many areas of the Corn Belt dipped below freezing early Monday morning.

“Soybeans are generally freeze tolerant down to about 28 degrees.”  He says, “Corn tissue is more sensitive to freezing, but it’s harder to kill it if the growing point is protected underneath the soil.”

Matt Montgomery, agronomy education lead with Beck’s Hybrids, says most areas with emerged crops were fortunate not to reach that threshold, but producers should still evaluate stands.

“You need about three to five days to really figure out what’s happened to the crop to get a feel for how those ice crystals have shredded tissue and killed off growing points,” he says.

Tarochione tells Brownfield, “You really need to look for the new growth. The plant might look completely dead, but if the growing points are still alive, the plant has more yield potential in most cases than starting over again.”

The National Weather Service says temperatures as low as the mid-20’s were recorded Monday as far south as central Iowa, northern Illinois and Indiana, southern Michigan, and northern Ohio.

AUDIO: Lance Tarochione – Dekalb / Asgrow Agronomist