Knoxville — Much of the Deep South is sweltering in a heat wave, with daytime temperatures from Florida to Texas at or near 100 degrees.
A University of Tennessee agricultural climatologist said Wednesday that Tennessee has avoided the worst of the heat.
But Dr. Joanne Logan said Tennessee farmers must be careful in the way they protect their crops from the heat.
“Farmers need to be careful in their crop selection, to make sure their crops are a little more heat-resistant,” Logan said. “In reality, row crops in Tennessee are not suffering too much at this point, because they-re getting enough moisture.”
Adequate moisture, Logan said, is the key to survival in high heat, for both crops and livestock.
“Water and shade make a big difference for livestock, and poultry farmers may have to turn up the air conditioning to protect their birds,” Logan said.
The National Weather Service has predicted adequate rainfall for Tennessee in the near future, but the threat of long-term drought still exists.