Abstract
Hailstorms can be responsible for significant economic loss to the agricultural sector in Alberta, Canada. Foliar applications of certain fungicides and nutrient blends have been advocated to promote recovery and yield of hail-damaged crops. Proper understanding of different crop and hail-related factors is required for an accurate assessment of hail damage to crops and for evaluations of hail-recovery product claims. This study was undertaken at three locations in Alberta during three growing seasons (2016–2018) to determine the effects of two levels of simulated hail severity at three different crop developmental stages, including the early growth (BBCH 30 for wheat; BBCH 14–16 for pulses), mid-growth (BBCH 39 for wheat; BBCH 60 for pulses), and late growth (BBCH 60 for wheat; BBCH 71 for pulses) stages. Plant growth and yield parameters of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), field pea (Pisum sativum L.), and dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) crops were measured. Simulated hail damage led to reductions in height, biomass, NDVI, grain yield, and kernel weight of all three crops. Average yield decreased by 24% and 35% for wheat, 17% and 35% for dry beans, and 37% and 45% for field peas for light and heavy hail severity, respectively. Hail timing was a critical factor influencing the extent of crop damage, with hail damage during the early growth stage leading to a lesser yield reduction compared with hail damage at the mid-growth and late growth stages. Fungicides and nutrient blends applications did not significantly improve crop recovery, grain yield, or kernel weight for any of the crops in this study.
Highlights
Hailstorms are a form of precipitation consisting of 5 mm to 10 cm diameter ice lumps (Lozowski 2006)
Reduction in plant height relative to untreated control for field pea and dry bean was more severe for hail damage during middle and late stages compared with hail damage during early stage
Averaged across the different stages of development, plant height was reduced by 11% and 16% for wheat, 32% and 43% for field pea, and 18% and 26% for dry bean for light and heavy damage relative to the untreated control, respectively (Fig. 3)
Summary
Hailstorms are a form of precipitation consisting of 5 mm to 10 cm diameter ice lumps (Lozowski 2006). Summer hailstorms can cause catastrophic damage in field crops cultivated on the Canadian prairies. Hail damage has been observed to cause bent and broken stems of plants, crushed canopies, increased lodging, defoliation, flower removal, and plant death, leading to reductions in crop yield and (or) quality (McGregor 1987; Counce et al 1994). Hail damage can create wounds that allow some plant pathogens to more readily infect the plant, causing additional yield and quality loss (Robertson et al 2011; Sisson et al 2016; Eggenberger et al 2016; Battaglia et al 2019). In Canadian hail climatology analysis based on 30 yr of data (1977–2007), Etkins (2018) found that the province of Alberta had the highest hailstorm frequency compared with the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario; and an overall significant increase in hail frequency over 30 yr. The Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) paid approximately $180 million and $299 million for hail damage claims in Alberta in 2018 and 2019, respectively, under its straight hail and hail endorsement programs (AFSC 2020)
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