Phew! As you wipe sweat from your brow and cool off your livestock, just remember—your crops suffer from the heat, too. Extremely high temperatures can impact crop health and growth so much that rising global temperatures could reduce one-third of crop yields by 2050.1
Help set your crops up for success with these tips and tricks on warm weather preparation. From shading to irrigation, we’ve got you covered with advice from the rural land experts at Land.com.
Keep reading for our comprehensive guide on maximizing crop yields in the summer months.
The Importance of Crop Heat Preparation
From warmer winters to scorching summers, changing weather patterns have a significant effect on your land.
How does it work? Plants are affected by heat in several ways:
- Early flowering – Warm temperatures signal to plants that summer is coming, which causes them to flower. If they flower too early, such as in late winter, then they will lack the energy to produce enough seeds later in the season.1
- Low moisture – In hot weather, farms suffer from higher rates of evapotranspiration—the combination of water loss from soil (evaporation) and water loss from plants (transpiration), leading to dry land and dehydrated plants.
- Damaged pollen – High temperatures interfere with the pollination process by damaging or inhibiting pollen production and preventing it from being properly released. This results in low seed counts and minimal maturation.
- Heat stress: Crops that cannot withstand the heat will wilt or yellow, not fully develop, and become unusable.
Overall, crops that are unprepared for high temperatures will produce a lower yield.2
Choosing Heat-Tolerant Crop Varieties
Some crops are naturally more heat-tolerant, while others have been modified over time to withstand the heat better. As you are planning your summer rotation, look for crops that can3:
- Endure a longer growing season
- Mature quickly before hot weather
- Survive in low-moisture soil
- Resist drought
- Pollinate in high temperatures
These adaptations will help your plants respond to a mild winter or summer heatwave.
Types of Heat-Resistant Crops
There are lots of plant varieties that have developed to withstand high temperatures. Choosing these crops in the summer will help optimize the success of your farm. Some delicious heat-resistant crops include3:
- Southern peas (black-eyed peas)
- Yardlong beans
- Okra
- Sweet potatoes
- Tomatoes: Summer Set, Sun Leaper, Red Bounty, and Phoenix, among other varieties
- Lettuce: Iceberg, Oakleaf, Merlot, and Batavian, among other varieties
- Broccoli: Eastern Crown, Millennium, and Green Magic, among other varieties
While this list is a good starting point, crop success will vary by region, soil type, and climate. Visit a local seed supplier for further recommendations.
Scheduling Irrigation for High Temperatures
An irrigation schedule is crucial in the summer months to effectively manage water usage, keep plants hydrated, and avoid excessive utility bills. A consistent irrigation schedule helps:
- Optimize soil moisture
- Avoid over- or under-watering
- Prevent excess runoff
- Account for evapotranspiration
When determining your land’s irrigation needs, there are many variables to keep in mind.
Factors that Determine Irrigation
Whether you calculate these figures manually or using a device, knowing these levels is critical to scheduling the proper irrigation4:
- Saturation – When soil is filled with water, it can start to drain.
- Field capacity (FC) – The amount of water left over when saturated water drains out.
- Permanent wilting point (PWP) – When plants have used all the water available in the soil, and the soil is too dry to supply more moisture.
- Available water holding capacity—Between FC and PWP, this is the maximum amount of water that is available to plants in the soil root zone.
- Management allowable depletion (MAD) – The maximum amount of water that plants can absorb before developing water stress (around 40-50% of AWC).
- Soil water deficit – The amount of water required in the root zone to reach FC. When it is equal to or higher than MAD, irrigation should begin.
- Rooting depth – All crops have different root depths, which determines how much water they can access in the soil. Deep-rooted crops can access more water than shallow-rooted ones.
So, once you’ve tracked this data, how exactly do you implement an irrigation schedule? There are several manual and tech-savvy options.
Timers
The most basic way to control irrigation is to set up a timer system. Determine how often your crops need watering and set up the timer accordingly. Keep in mind that it is best to water plants in the morning during the summer, as that is the coolest time of the day.
Controllers
These systems use local data to trigger irrigation. For instance, an evapotranspiration controller tracks weather data to determine the difference between water evaporation and absorption. Underground soil moisture controllers track soil moisture volume and are programmed to start irrigation when moisture is too low.5
Sensors
Add-on sensors can be used to modify an existing irrigation timer or controller, so you don’t have to overhaul your whole system in order to achieve more precise results. Three useful sensors include:
- Soil moisture
- Rain and freeze
- Wind
By tracking these levels, your irrigation system will know when to water your fields or when to skip a cycle.
Protective Measures for Crops During Heatwaves
In addition to heat resistance and irrigation scheduling, there are other everyday solutions to help prepare your crops for the summer. These sustainable and accessible strategies are easy to incorporate into your routine or plan ahead of time.
Shading
The first step is helping your plants get some much-needed relief in the shade. If they are not naturally under tree cover, you can bring the shade to them using:
- Shade cloths – The most common shading method comes in various shapes and sizes. Made with light colors, shade cloths block sunlight and don’t absorb much heat. You can make your own with extra fabric or purchase a purpose-made sheet.
- Cover crops – One of the many benefits of cover crops is that they can provide shade to nearby roots and plants. Cover crops are not for harvest but rather are planted to enrich the soil, minimize runoff, and more.
Shaded soil is less likely to become dry and cracked, and plants are less likely to wilt—and you’ll have higher crop yields to show for it.
Crop Rotation
You likely already switch the crops you plant every season. Additionally, you should rotate these crops every year to achieve crop diversity. Crop rotation has many benefits, one of which is protecting soil quality and crop health.
Use crop rotation methods to your advantage to help prepare your fields for hot weather. For instance, plant deep-rooted crops after shallow-rooted ones so they can access the unused water reserves.6
Soil Moisture Conservation Methods
One of the best ways to prep your acreage for the summer is by enhancing soil moisture retention. Even with an irrigation schedule, evapotranspiration occurs much quicker during a heatwave as soil struggles to retain enough moisture in the root zone. In turn, crops can become dehydrated and unusable.7
The soil sensors we mentioned before can help indicate a moisture deficit. You can also do it the old-fashioned way—by feeling and looking at the texture of the soil to identify dryness.
Here are some ways to improve your soil’s moisture conservation.
Mulch
Mulching acts as an effective barrier on the topsoil, helping decrease evaporation and lock in moisture. It also helps reduce weed growth and soil erosion. There are many natural mulch options, including straw and wood chips.
While you can opt for non-organic mulches (plastic, rubber), these options are both more challenging to remove and worse for soil quality.7
Organic Material
Similarly, other organic materials can help retain moisture while simultaneously providing nutritional benefits to crops. Organic material can be thought of as a kind of slow-release fertilizer, as it penetrates the soil and sends nutrients to plant roots.
There is no need to spend money on fancy fertilizer—you can make your natural soil barrier using organic materials your property already produces. We recommend7:
- Plant residue – Decomposed leaves, stems, and other vegetative material
- Manure – Livestock waste
- Compost – Decomposed food waste
- Green manure – Plants that are grown specifically for soil incorporation
Plus, consider a low- or no-till approach to make it even easier to accrue organic material on the soil. Conservation tillage leaves beneficial crop residue or cover crops behind, enriching your soil all on its own.
Ensure Crop Health in Hot Weather with Land.com
Discover more expert advice from Land News, our go-to source for rural landowners, homesteaders, and farmers. Hot weather is around the corner—once you’ve prepared your property for a heatwave, get ideas on using your recreational land this summer, making your landscaping more eco-friendly, and more.
If you’re interested in adding acreage to your assets this summer, look no further than Land.com, the nation’s leading rural real estate market. Browse available listings across all 50 states, or find a Land Pro in your area to guide you through the process.
Are you prepping your land for a summer sale? Partner with a local Land Pro to add a listing and find a buyer in no time.
Join the Land.com network today.
Sources:
- UC Riverside. Discovery is key to creating heat-tolerant crops. https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2021/04/06/discovery-key-creating-heat-tolerant-crops.
- University of Delaware. HEAT TOLERANT VEGETABLE VARIETIES. https://sites.udel.edu/weeklycropupdate/?p=14443.
- University of Maryland Extension. Heat-tolerant vegetable crops and cultivars for the changing climate. https://marylandgrows.umd.edu/2022/01/21/heat-tolerant-vegetable-crops-and-cultivars-for-the-changing-climate/.
- University of Minnesota Extension. Basics of irrigation scheduling. https://extension.umn.edu/irrigation/basics-irrigation-scheduling.
- Oklahoma State University Extension. Smart Irrigation Technology: Controllers and Sensors. https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/smart-irrigation-technology-controllers-and-sensors.html.
- SARE. Cover Crops for Sustainable Crop Rotations. https://www.sare.org/resources/cover-crops/.
- Nova Scotia Agriculture and Fisheries. Soil Moisture Conservation. https://nsefp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/NSCA-2001-Soil-Moisture-Conservation.pdf.