Crop failure?

Question

it was a very cold winter with ice on the ground the majority of time do you think my grandpas crops will fail? he just doesnt know. wheat crop.

we live in sw missouri

Answer 1

I live in the high mountain deserts of Idaho, at 4700 + feet elivation.  We get hard freeze (solid as concrete) at least two feet down every year.  This year we had 6 feet of snow over much of our area.

Last time I looked it up, this area of Idaho grows 17% of the nations wheat.  Potatoes are the major crop around here, but we also grow a LOT of wheat, alfalfa an surgar beets.

Farmers around here run the cattle over the wheat feilds during the winter.  Spring, summer, and part of fall, the cattle are on desert open rangeland.  In the winter, they are brought down from the higher elivations, and put on the wheat fields.  The farmers feed the cattle alfalfa.  The alfalfa, and manure rott onto the wheat fields and provide even more neutriants for the wheat crop.

Wheat can withstand brutal cold temperatures, being walked on, grazed on, and all kinds of stuff all winter long, and still produce an amazing crop the next year.

Your grandpa's crop should be just fine.

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 2

Not if it was fall planted wheat.

We do that in Canada all the time.

I think we normal get a bit worse winters than you do.

The only time we get problems is of the frost heaves the wheat out of the ground.

Answer 3

We farm in Kentucky, not that far from your grandpa. Our winter wheat went through the same thing as yours and it is going to come along fine. It is a little bit behind what it usually is, but tell your grandpa not to worry about his wheat.

Answer 4

THE CROP WILL FAIL IF U DONOT COVER IT COVER IT WITH PLASTIC SHEET IF U CAN I KNOW ITS EXPENSIVE BUT ITS THE ONLY WAY OUT

Answer 5

Drainage appears to be a prime requirement for winter wheat when there is not a good snow cover.

We can grow well each year because we have systematic tile drainage and permeable soil.

We had a lot of winter kill when we had poor drainage. Roots would die off, leaving the impression that the crowns had been heaved out of the soil. Deep snow cover makes poor drainage forgivable.

Answer 6

it will be fine. It would matter more how stressed from how it was before freeze up

Answer 7

It shouldn't, winter wheat is pretty tough and a layer of soil will protect it.  It might be dormant a little longer than normal but should come up fine.