APRIL FREEZE COULD DAMAGE FRUIT CROPS

Near-record low temperatures Sunday night could have a devastating effect on fruit crops in the region and the national fruit supply.

A freeze advisory issued by the National Weather Service on Sunday encompassed all of Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky and southwestern Indiana. Temperatures were expected to be below freezing, and these temperatures could wreak havoc on local fruit crops.

"Everybody is expected to stay in the 20s and 30s," said meteorologist David Humphrey of the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky. "The freeze advisory is for everybody in the region, and yes, plants and crops could be affected by the low temperatures."

Stanley Beggs, owner of Pioneer Orchards in Jackson, said unseasonable freezing temperatures could hurt the fruit trees in his orchard and affect the prices and quality of fruit available across the nation. This the worst mid-April frost Beggs has seen in years.

"So much of the fruit crop has already been damaged in other areas of the country that this freeze could devastate us," Beggs said. "Not only do you lose the fruit itself that gets killed in the freeze, you also damage the quality of the fruit."

To protect the 23,000 apple trees in his orchard, Beggs had helicopters brought in from Black Rock, Ark., and Paducah. He said the pilots were experienced at working with orchards and would hover their helicopters in critical parts of the orchard to raise temperatures in those areas.

"We get information from the university (Southeast Missouri State University) about the critical stages for buds at various stages," he said. "We have determined that our fruit buds will reach the critical stage around 27 degrees. We'll have people monitoring the low spots in the orchard all night, where it gets the coldest first. That's where we'll send the helicopters to raise the temperatures."

Beggs said unseasonable freezes cause several problems for fruit growers. Fruit buds exposed to the freezing temperatures may die, he said, or they may develop into misshapen or deformed fruit. The fruit that survives the freeze could develop a rough or russet finish, or visible frost rings could form.

"This is our livelihood, so we're going to do all we can to protect it," said Beggs. "We anticipate by daylight to have saved the trees or lose the whole crop."

Humphrey said temperatures are expected to warm up today with a high near 60 degrees. The warming trend should continue through the rest of the week, although Thursday should bring increasing clouds and the chance of showers.

Normal April temperatures are expected by Friday, with highs in the high-50s to mid-60s, and lows in the low- to mid-40s.