Avoiding Summer Heat Stress
Crops are most vulnerable to heat stress during flowering, which can reduce pollination and yield. While weather is unpredictable, early, even crop development—driven by precise planting—helps crops avoid peak heat periods, improving resilience, maturity uniformity, and return on investment.
As summer arrives, temperatures typically rise and people look for ways to “beat the heat” by staying cool. Similarly, crops are vulnerable to stress under intense heat, especially if such conditions occur during sensitive growth stages. Unlike people, crops can’t seek shelter, so mitigating heat stress involves helping them progress past these vulnerable stages before extreme heat typically sets in.
Crops like canola, wheat, corn, and soybeans are susceptible to heat stress throughout the season, but the flowering stage is particularly critical. Excessive heat during flowering negatively affects pollination, especially when soil moisture is low. Poor pollination leads to reduced yield and a lower return on investment, considering the cost of inputs, machinery, and labor.
Since weather is unpredictable, intense heat can strike at any point in the season. If higher temperatures are known to occur during specific periods, it’s ideal for crops to complete flowering beforehand. While early-season weather and soil conditions are beyond a grower’s control, rapid germination and growth—supported by precise product metering and placement—can accelerate development. Uniform crop growth across the field is also essential, as areas still in sensitive stages during heat events may suffer yield loss and uneven maturity, complicating pre-harvest and harvest operations. The Seed Hawk air drill provides the most precise seeding technology on the market by delivering unmatched seed and fertilizer placement in one pass, allowing seeds to evenly germinate and grow.
Since 2019, Väderstad's Precision Delivery Air Carts have helped farmers in Canada and Australia seed around 13.7 million acres of barley, canola, wheat, peas, oats, and rye, along with liquid fertilizer, dry fertilizer, inoculant, and NH3. This achievement highlights our commitment to working alongside farmers and enhancing their productivity.
Väderstad Seed Hawk Air Seeders and Precision Delivery Air Carts Model Year 2026 are now available for purchase. Talk to your local dealer today.