By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Bluegrass farmers have been challenged this year by weather extremes beginning with a late spring freeze, then drought conditions in May and now record heat.

The effects of the weather have been felt by nearly all Kentucky producers from fruit growers to livestock owners.

John Strang, University of Kentucky (UK) Extension fruit and vegetable specialist, said the state lost approximately $16.35 million of its $19 million fruit crop due to the freeze.
Strang broke down the numbers: 95 percent of Kentucky’s apple crop was lost for an estimated economic loss of nearly $7.8 million in retail sales; the peach crop was a 98 percent loss valued at $2.74 million; 60 percent of the strawberry crop was lost for a $1.76 million economic hit; and the grape crop suffered a 60 percent loss valued at an estimated $1.49 million.

The state’s wheat crop also took a major hit although the news wasn’t quite as bad as first expected once the crop was harvested. UK Grain Specialists Chad Lee, Jim Herbek, Lloyd Murdock and Greg Schwab recently released a news brief about the state’s wheat harvest explaining possiblities of why the wheat crop made a bit of a rebound.

“Kentucky experienced about six weeks of dry weather following the freeze event. The dry weather prevented wheat from falling over. It discouraged disease development that normally occurs on damaged stems. No heavy rains occurred to knock down the wheat. The dry weather encouraged faster development and most wheat matured within a few days of normal. This was absolutely the best possible weather conditions for wheat recovering from freeze damage. None of us expected perfect weather conditions,” they wrote.

The brief also noted that some Kentucky wheat fields looked much better than others following the freeze possibly due in part to nitrogen application timing.

“We noticed that wheat treated with fertilizer nitrogen about two weeks before the freeze did better than wheat treated at other timings with fertilizer nitrogen. In unusual weather events (such as a week of temperatures in the 80s in March, followed by 3-5 days of freezing temperatures in early April in Kentucky) unusual things happen. The science behind our predictions on wheat freeze damage was sound. One thing we all have learned, and continue to do so, is that it is extremely hard to outguess Mother Nature.”

Drought conditions may have helped wheat producers, but other farmers have not had it so well. Seventeen counties, all along the border of Tennessee, were declared eligible for federal disaster assistance, including low-interest emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) due to damages and losses caused by drought and high heat in neighboring Tennessee counties.

USDA Mike Johanns acted on a request from Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and declared all 95 Tennessee counties a disaster area due to damages and losses caused by the extreme drought and high heat of the summer, As a result of that declaration, those Kentucky counties were named as contiguous counties where eligible family farmers may qualify for FSA loan assistance, as well.
Those counties include: Allen, Bell, Calloway, Christian, Clinton, Cumberland, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Logan, McCreary, Monroe, Simpson, Todd, Trigg, Wayne and Whitley.

“I appreciate USDA’s quick response to my request, and we want to continue doing everything we can to help Tennessee farmers get through this unusually tough year,” said Bredesen. “This designation will be important to many farmers who need assistance to continue farming, however, more help is needed. I hope that Congress will consider and approve additional assistance due to the pervasive nature of this disaster not only in Tennessee but across the Southeast.”

All 120 Kentucky counties had already received the same disaster assistance status earlier this summer after Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher requested a statewide disaster designation due to crop losses caused by the Easter Freeze.

Tobacco farmers have not been immune to this year’s weather conditions either and reports of black shank are beginning to crop up around the state. UK Plant Pathologist Kenny Seebold issued a brief recently, discussing the difficulties.

“The 2007 growing season has been a difficult one for Kentucky’s tobacco farmers, particularly because of the drought that has gripped the state. As would be expected, dry conditions are beginning to take a toll on tobacco in the field from a physiological standpoint,” he wrote.

“We also have seen a significant increase in the number of reports of black shank over the past week to 10 days. Although we consider black shank to be a wet-weather disease, severe damage can occur during a drought, and this is the scenario we now face.
The plants that are now dying from black shank were likely infected during one of the few rain events that took place earlier in June.”
Adding insult to injury, recent high temperatures have prompted UK Ag Meteorologist Tom Priddy to issue a livestock heat stress advisory for the state.

Heat indexes have reached the 100-105 degree range, with the northern counties experiencing indices that could be closer to 110 degrees. The livestock heat index is in the emergency category and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
Priddy said the heat wave prompts some real concern for humans, as well as livestock and pets. The heat index is a combination of air temperature and humidity.

Dew points above 65 degrees lead officials to declare conditions dangerous for livestock, he said.

Dew points around the state continue to hover in the 70s and Priddy expects very little change in the extended forecast.
UK College of Agriculture livestock specialist Bill Crist recommended that producers provide plenty of fresh water, adequate feed and shade for livestock.

He said the most important things they can do are to provide cool, clean water and shade with buildings as open as possible.
“Also, adding fans inside the buildings can help keep air flowing,” he said. “When you bring the cows into the milking parlor, don’t move them fast and try to keep them calm.”

Last weekend saw a slight drop in temperatures but record heat was expected to return this week.

The Palmer Drought Index list most of Kentucky in a moderate or severe category while parts of Tennessee are list in the extreme or exceptional categories.

According to the National Climate Data Center, June 2007 was the 23rd warmest June on record and the first half of this year was the 18th warmest since record keeping began in 1895.
The Center also reported this year has been the second driest January-June and driest April-June on record in the Southeast.

“By the end of June, 65 percent of the region was in drought. Alabama was hardest hit, with 86 percent of the state’s pasture and range lands in poor, or very poor, condition in early July according to the USDA.
“The entire state was declared a drought disaster area.”