❓ Hon Paddy Embry asks about potential damage to wheat crops in the Stirling Ranges due to snowfall. Hon Kim Chance responds that light snowfall is unlikely to cause significant damage and discusses the broader risk of frost damage, assessing it as currently low.
AnsweredQoN 1234Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I will risk asking a question without notice to the Leader of the House. It is a question that I am sure he will have no difficulty in answering so I do not hesitate to ask it. Having had snow fall on the Stirling Ranges last night, has the minister has an update from his department on any damage to wheat crops etc that are now at that critical flowering stage through part of his electorate as well as mine? Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank Hon Paddy Embry for an interesting question. I do not have a lot of advice on that particular question apart from that which is generally available; that is, that such a light snowfall onto crops at the stage they are currently in in that part of the south coast area has not caused any damage. The crops are somewhat flattened by the snowfall but will stand up within a few days and will have benefited from the moisture that came with the fall. Although I have not been advised of any damage, it is always possible that small areas could have been damaged. With regard to the frost risk posed other than by snow fall - since that was referred to in the question more generally - I understand that for some reason snow does not cause frost damage and that the process requires cold air rather than cold water. The amount of frost damage is unknown as yet. A considerable area in the mid south of the State down to the south coast is at risk at the moment as those crops develop. However, the seasonal conditions are giving some confidence that the risk of widespread frost damage is not high. In part, that is because of the adequate soil moisture profile and the belief generally that there is not a strong association between damp conditions in the crop biosphere and frost damage. Frost damage generally occurs from very dry soil conditions. Although nobody is giving any guarantees about the possibility of frost damage, that possibility seems less likely than normal, although we all cross our fingers and touch wood and do whatever else we do to ensure that that will not happen. From the mid south and northwards, the risk of frost damage is now very low since most crops have now passed the general flowering stage and are beyond frost damage.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied : I thank Hon Paddy Embry for an interesting question. I do not have a lot of advice on that particular question apart from that which is generally available; that is, that such a light snowfall onto crops at the stage they are currently in in that part of the south coast area has not caused any damage. The crops are somewhat flattened by the snowfall but will stand up within a few days and will have benefited from the moisture that came with the fall. Although I have not been advised of any damage, it is always possible that small areas could have been damaged. With regard to the frost risk posed other than by snow fall - since that was referred to in the question more generally - I understand that for some reason snow does not cause frost damage and that the process requires cold air rather than cold water. The amount of frost damage is unknown as yet. A considerable area in the mid south of the State down to the south coast is at risk at the moment as those crops develop. However, the seasonal conditions are giving some confidence that the risk of widespread frost damage is not high. In part, that is because of the adequate soil moisture profile and the belief generally that there is not a strong association between damp conditions in the crop biosphere and frost damage. Frost damage generally occurs from very dry soil conditions. Although nobody is giving any guarantees about the possibility of frost damage, that possibility seems less likely than normal, although we all cross our fingers and touch wood and do whatever else we do to ensure that that will not happen. From the mid south and northwards, the risk of frost damage is now very low since most crops have now passed the general flowering stage and are beyond frost damage.
I thank Hon Paddy Embry for an interesting question. I do not have a lot of advice on that particular question apart from that which is generally available; that is, that such a light snowfall onto crops at the stage they are currently in in that part of the south coast area has not caused any damage. The crops are somewhat flattened by the snowfall but will stand up within a few days and will have benefited from the moisture that came with the fall. Although I have not been advised of any damage, it is always possible that small areas could have been damaged. With regard to the frost risk posed other than by snow fall - since that was referred to in the question more generally - I understand that for some reason snow does not cause frost damage and that the process requires cold air rather than cold water. The amount of frost damage is unknown as yet. A considerable area in the mid south of the State down to the south coast is at risk at the moment as those crops develop. However, the seasonal conditions are giving some confidence that the risk of widespread frost damage is not high. In part, that is because of the adequate soil moisture profile and the belief generally that there is not a strong association between damp conditions in the crop biosphere and frost damage. Frost damage generally occurs from very dry soil conditions. Although nobody is giving any guarantees about the possibility of frost damage, that possibility seems less likely than normal, although we all cross our fingers and touch wood and do whatever else we do to ensure that that will not happen. From the mid south and northwards, the risk of frost damage is now very low since most crops have now passed the general flowering stage and are beyond frost damage.
With regard to the frost risk posed other than by snow fall - since that was referred to in the question more generally - I understand that for some reason snow does not cause frost damage and that the process requires cold air rather than cold water. The amount of frost damage is unknown as yet. A considerable area in the mid south of the State down to the south coast is at risk at the moment as those crops develop. However, the seasonal conditions are giving some confidence that the risk of widespread frost damage is not high. In part, that is because of the adequate soil moisture profile and the belief generally that there is not a strong association between damp conditions in the crop biosphere and frost damage. Frost damage generally occurs from very dry soil conditions. Although nobody is giving any guarantees about the possibility of frost damage, that possibility seems less likely than normal, although we all cross our fingers and touch wood and do whatever else we do to ensure that that will not happen. From the mid south and northwards, the risk of frost damage is now very low since most crops have now passed the general flowering stage and are beyond frost damage.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied : I thank Hon Paddy Embry for an interesting question. I do not have a lot of advice on that particular question apart from that which is generally available; that is, that such a light snowfall onto crops at the stage they are currently in in that part of the south coast area has not caused any damage. The crops are somewhat flattened by the snowfall but will stand up within a few days and will have benefited from the moisture that came with the fall. Although I have not been advised of any damage, it is always possible that small areas could have been damaged. With regard to the frost risk posed other than by snow fall - since that was referred to in the question more generally - I understand that for some reason snow does not cause frost damage and that the process requires cold air rather than cold water. The amount of frost damage is unknown as yet. A considerable area in the mid south of the State down to the south coast is at risk at the moment as those crops develop. However, the seasonal conditions are giving some confidence that the risk of widespread frost damage is not high. In part, that is because of the adequate soil moisture profile and the belief generally that there is not a strong association between damp conditions in the crop biosphere and frost damage. Frost damage generally occurs from very dry soil conditions. Although nobody is giving any guarantees about the possibility of frost damage, that possibility seems less likely than normal, although we all cross our fingers and touch wood and do whatever else we do to ensure that that will not happen. From the mid south and northwards, the risk of frost damage is now very low since most crops have now passed the general flowering stage and are beyond frost damage.
I thank Hon Paddy Embry for an interesting question. I do not have a lot of advice on that particular question apart from that which is generally available; that is, that such a light snowfall onto crops at the stage they are currently in in that part of the south coast area has not caused any damage. The crops are somewhat flattened by the snowfall but will stand up within a few days and will have benefited from the moisture that came with the fall. Although I have not been advised of any damage, it is always possible that small areas could have been damaged. With regard to the frost risk posed other than by snow fall - since that was referred to in the question more generally - I understand that for some reason snow does not cause frost damage and that the process requires cold air rather than cold water. The amount of frost damage is unknown as yet. A considerable area in the mid south of the State down to the south coast is at risk at the moment as those crops develop. However, the seasonal conditions are giving some confidence that the risk of widespread frost damage is not high. In part, that is because of the adequate soil moisture profile and the belief generally that there is not a strong association between damp conditions in the crop biosphere and frost damage. Frost damage generally occurs from very dry soil conditions. Although nobody is giving any guarantees about the possibility of frost damage, that possibility seems less likely than normal, although we all cross our fingers and touch wood and do whatever else we do to ensure that that will not happen. From the mid south and northwards, the risk of frost damage is now very low since most crops have now passed the general flowering stage and are beyond frost damage.
With regard to the frost risk posed other than by snow fall - since that was referred to in the question more generally - I understand that for some reason snow does not cause frost damage and that the process requires cold air rather than cold water. The amount of frost damage is unknown as yet. A considerable area in the mid south of the State down to the south coast is at risk at the moment as those crops develop. However, the seasonal conditions are giving some confidence that the risk of widespread frost damage is not high. In part, that is because of the adequate soil moisture profile and the belief generally that there is not a strong association between damp conditions in the crop biosphere and frost damage. Frost damage generally occurs from very dry soil conditions. Although nobody is giving any guarantees about the possibility of frost damage, that possibility seems less likely than normal, although we all cross our fingers and touch wood and do whatever else we do to ensure that that will not happen. From the mid south and northwards, the risk of frost damage is now very low since most crops have now passed the general flowering stage and are beyond frost damage.
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