Wednesday, May 12, 2021
By the U of A System Division of Agriculture
In the overnight hours of April 20, temperatures fell into the 20s across about half the state, triggering the second historic freeze event in 2021. While many horticulture producers were able to prepare by covering berries and other bush plants, peach and muscadine growers werent able to muster such defenses.
The first event, which occurred the week of February 14, happened when many of the states fruit crops were still in their winter dormancy. Amanda McWhirt, extension horticultural crop specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the second event caught many of the states fruit crops at a particularly vulnerable stage of development.
In the overnight hours of April 20, temperatures fell into the 20s across about half the state, triggering the second historic freeze event in 2021. While many