Impact of fall’s big chill still hard to assess
W
ins
in
u
t
r
e
a
r
n
d
ce
amage
hailstorms in different parts of the valley
And this year saw a couple of
estim
claims
that completely wiped out some
of the sudden move from summer to
One problem that surfaced as a result
orchardists. Although hail was a much
winter was the dead and fragile leaves
millio
a
n
t
.
ed at $28-$30
lesser part of the overall damage picture,
breaking up and contaminating grapes
there was a storm July 25 which caused
during harvest. A couple of large
a lot of damage in the Vernon area and
growers resorted to using helicopters to
the North Okanagan, completely wiping
fly low over the vineyards, blowing off
the dead leaves before picking.
By Judie Steeves
I
out some orchards, Plett says.
t won’t be known until spring how
into winter caught growers off guard
On other farms, the sudden plunge
much damage was done by the early
areas Sept. 6, normally a time of year
Another hit in the Oliver and Kelowna
when growers don’t expect to have hail
and irrigation systems were not yet
winterized. In some cases the sudden
winter’s cold resulted in record losses to
fall plunge in temperatures, but last
damage. However, a warm September deep freeze caused damage to above-
wine grape crops.
continued summer into that month this
year, which did allow some crops to
ground valves.
manager Larry Plett, of the provincial
Production insurance general
catch up from a late spring. unaffected by the cold Thanksgiving
Table grape growers were largely
agriculture ministry, says this was the
weekend since most of the Coronation
second year in a row of significant
temperatures suddenly dropped like a
Then, at Thanksgiving, Oct. 10 to 12,
crop had already been picked, but it’s a
losses, with an estimated $28 million to
stone, to -11 C in some areas of the variety developed at the Pacific Agri-
$30 million in damage claims.
valley, freezing late apples on the trees
and shutting down vineyards for winter.
food Research Centre in Summerland
and is hardier than many of the wine
just for grapes.
Of that, he estimates $20 million was
that period, but he knows that some late
Plett says few claims were received for grapes now grown in the valley.
while in 2007 it was $16 million and in
Last year’s total was $35 million,
apple varieties were affected. And, grape PARC will help growers pinpoint at what
It’s hoped research under way at
2006 it was $18.6 million.
growers had to hustle to bring in any
fruit still left hanging on the vines—
temperature which varieties are
vulnerable to winter damage; what other
claims for the province were lower than
Previous to that, most years the total
unless it was set aside for making factors contribute and what can be done
than $13 million, and there were many
icewine. to lessen the potential for frost losses.
years when total claims were only $1.8
or $1.7 million, or even $4.7 million, he
reported.
value of the production insurance
A year such as this just proves the
Plan Ahead on Plantings and $ave Big!
program. “There’s a lot of money going
into farmers’ hands this year.”
plunge in the mercury in mid-
The worst damage resulted from a
December, when record cold
temperatures, from -20 C to -26 C, hit
the vines hard. Different varieties were
more vulnerable than others, and
damage varied within the vineyard
depending on micro-climatic conditions
from one spot to another.
bud break it became evident that the
Vines sustained top damage and at
primary clusters had been hurt badly by
the cold temperatures.
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British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Winter 2009-10
27
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