Citrus growers in California’s Central Valley have endured several more anxious nights as temperatures dropped below freezing over the weekend.
By Monday, however, grower-shippers reported that the navel orange and mandarin crop had come through the early-season cold-snap basically unscathed.
“We survived the weekend with no fruit losses to speak of,” Tom Wollenman of Lo Bue Citrus told Fruitnet.com on Monday. “Temperatures were in the upper 20oF to low 30oF last night and should be similar for the next couple of nights – maybe even a little warmer.”
The sub-zero temperatures, which first hit growing areas between Fresno and Bakersfield last Wednesday night, may have a positive effect on the navel crop, he added.
“If anything, the five nights in a row we had at freezing or slightly lower was all the industry could ask for as it toughed up the fruit for long distance shipment and brought on more colour,” Mr Wolleman said.
However, Mr Wollenman expects the weekend cold-snap probably wrought some damage to the California mandarin crop, but nothing extensive.
“Mandarins are more at risk than navels as they are thinner skinned and smaller,” he explained. “There may be some damage but I don’t think anything too serious. Some of the coldest temperatures, however, were in the Reedley area where there is a lot of W Murcott acreage now.”
Temperatures first dipped below freezing point in growing areas between Fresno and Bakersfield last Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, but did not hit the extremely low temperatures that had been predicted.
Citrus growers took precautions to help their crops withstand the freezing temperatures. Many producers had their water systems running during the day, which helps to boost moisture levels and can inch up temperatures. Some were also testing their wind machines, which can raise air temperatures.
A November hard-freeze in the Central Valley is almost without precedent, with such conditions historically hitting crops during December/January.
Previous major freezes to hit the California citrus industry struck in 2007 and 1998, causing an estimated US$700m and US$800m worth of damages respectively.
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