It looks like peaches and strawberries were not the only crops that got hit hard by two March freezes. Damage to the middle Georgia wheat crop is more severe than I intially thought it would be.
Damage to wheat from sub freezing temperatures on the 16th and then again on the 21st of March is showing up. Some damage was noted following these two freeze events, but I did not think it was as severe as it now appears to be. The low temperatures on both days dropped below 30°F for several hours. The amount of damage is directly related to the temperature and the duration of time below freezing. I saw temperatures as low as 25°F and 28°F proving that actual temperatures on farms are often several degrees colder than local weather stations report.
Wheat is most sensitive to freeze injury during reproductive growth, which begins with pollination during late boot or heading stages. Most of our wheat was in the late jointing to early boot stage at the time of the freeze. Temperatures that are only slightly below freezing can severely injure wheat at these stages and greatly reduce grain yields.
It looks like some varieties may have been hit harder than others and the stage of growth during these freezes will also be a factor. Wheat that was maturing later may have been protected. There will also be noticeable differences in fields depending on elevation and location.
There is a really good article that Texas A&M put out a few years ago about this topic. you can view it Here
