– Rain: Our climate during week 5 was the opposite of the prior week because it turned dry and rather chilly. Total rainfall for the week was next to nil – 5.8 mm (less than a 1/4 of an inch) and during one single day of the week.
– Temperature: However, our minimum air temperatures continued to decrease. The minimum reached 20°C (67.9°F) – 1.6°C lower than prior week and we had three days with temperatures lower than 20°C (68°F). The average temperature did remain stable at 25.3°C (77.7°F). The soil temperature increased to 25.5°C (77.9°F) – 0.6°C higher than prior week due the lack of rain, while the solar radiation was very high.
– Observations: The sunny dry days were followed by rather cold nights and the difference between the high of the day and the low temperature of the night was very significant. These extremes could stress plants and bring on an NDF event. This variability in climate from one week to the next and the extremes in day and night time temperatures undoubtedly have an effect on plant growth, it impacts our harvest age and makes it very difficult to pinpoint with accuracy the harvest schedule.