April 2022 - 17

WATER DEMANDS
Thornton also addressed the
additional water demands plants
require to cool down the ground inside
the canopy in the face of heat stress.
" As the temperature goes up the
crop's water needs goes directly up
with it and so when we have these
hot days we have really high water
demand, " Thornton said. " As the crop
evaporates water it uses it to cool itself
down, it's using it to try to get below
these temperatures that are stressful
so if you go out even on a 100 degree
day on a well watered crop and stick
your hand down in the bottom of the
canopy it's significantly cooler. "
Thornton said in a year like 2021,
growers can't afford to fall behind on
irrigation management.
" If you started the early-June section
with really good moisture in the bank
of the top two feet of soil, you were
able to manage and draw down your
moisture and not get to the stress
threshold, " he said. " But if you started
a little marginal on soil moisture and
then you just kept getting behind
because your system didn't have the
INDUSTRY NEWS
MCCAIN FOODS STOPS
SHIPMENTS TO RUSSIA
Potato processing giant McCain Foods
has ceased construction on a Russian
processing facility and stopped shipment of
its product to Russia.
In a March 10 statement, McCain said
it stopped construction Feb. 24 on a new
facility in the Tula Oblast region, which is
south of Moscow, and has now made the
decision to discontinue the project altogether.
" In addition, we are also suspending
all shipments of our products into the
Russian market, " the statement read. " To
help contribute to the global relief efforts
underway, we recently donated $200,000
to the Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian
Crisis Appeal.
" We are always guided in these
decisions by the ethics and perspective
of being a family-owned business from
New Brunswick, Canada. As the global
market leader in prepared French fries and
specialty potato products, McCain Foods
takes our leadership role seriously across
the 160 countries that we operate in. "
Specializing in:
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RJ Andrus
Director of Ag Sales
(208)356-7979
(208)681-9988
4097-2TetonWestConstruction12v.indd 1
Spudman * April 2022
1/3/22 10:17 AM
15
Proven
since 1973
capacity to supply ¼ " or ¾ " of water
everyday, all of a sudden you were
stressing that crop continuously for
water on top of the heat. "
Thornton pondered about the
prospect of 2021 being a precursor to
future conditions.
" I think one of the key questions
for our industry here in Idaho is, 'Is
this a one-off or is this a glimpse into
the future?'
" If the predictions for the next 29
years after 2040 are correct, they are
saying a significant portion of eastern
Idaho is going to have days over 100°F
every year; same with central and
western Idaho. "
He then re-emphasized that it's
not the single days over 100°F to be
concerned about, it's continuous days
over 100° that stress the potato plants.
He reiterated the need to begin planning
now for a comprehensive irrigation
management program for the future.
" I just want you to start thinking
about: 'Do I need to start thinking
about my irrigation system? Do I
have the capacity to meet what the
conditions are going to be like in the
future?' " Thornton concluded.
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April 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2022
