This story was updated July 25, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. to clarify how crops can be affected by extreme heat temperatures.
After extreme heat temperatures recently hit parts of the Central Coast, the San Luis Obispo County Agriculture Department is saying most farmers were able to protect their crops.
Temperatures reached the triple digits in parts of the Central Coast in early July, according to the National Weather Service. But, Mark Lea, SLO County’s assistant agricultural commissioner said early weather forecasts helped farmers and vineyards prepare by pre-watering their crops.
“The rains that we’ve had for the last couple years have made the plants really healthy and vibrant, so the canopies on the grape plants themselves are really good for the most part, so that’s going to help alleviate that problem,” Lea said.
Lea said though excessive heat causes plant stress, increased pest pressure and susceptibility to pests — most of the heat susceptible crops in SLO County are located along the coast and the coastal valleys, which are areas that haven't experienced extended triple digit temperatures.
“Doesn’t mean there couldn’t be some local damage and yields could have been affected, but it hasn’t been widespread enough to reach a disaster declaration, or major losses for a particular crop,” Lea said.
He said if the county gets more extreme sun while grapes start ripening in upcoming weeks, the fruit could get burnt, which would impact the taste of the wines.
