Heat Stress

This is Tim Hammerich of the Ag Information Network with your Farm of the Future Report.

We are in the heart of summer and it is hot in a lot of areas. Heat units and sunlight are important for plant growth, but there can certainly be too much of a good thing in this area. Heat stress causes plants to lose water faster than they can absorb it and Minda Daughtry of North Carolina State University Extension says this impacts the photosynthesis process.

Daughtry… “ One of the things that happens when a plant is undergoing heat stress or experiencing these conditions is it really messes with photosynthesis. You have reduced photosynthesis, which is where the plant is making its food, and increased respiration. The plant really prioritized respiration to get that burning up the energy reserves to live over producing energy through farm and sunlight, the photosynthesis part. Where that respiration happens, the underside of the plant leaves, which have the breathing apparatus, for lack of a better term, they close to conserve water. And that really reduces the uptake of carbon dioxide needed for the formance of the sunlight process, the photosynthesis process.”

Daughtry said heat stress can lead to a range of negative outcomes like lower production, cell damage, losing fruit or blossoms, or maturing to seed too early.