FREEZES TOUGH ON CROPS, WORSE ON LIVESTOCK; CATTLE, LIKE HUMANS, CAN BE INJURED BY SLIPPING ON ICE

Area farmers who grow winter wheat or fruit crops don't yet know the extent of damage that may have been caused by the recent hard freezes but agriculture officials say livestock probably was hurt more.

"Most of the wheat probably was not severely affected by the cold weather because it got cold and stayed cold," said Gerald Bryan, agronomist for the University of Missouri Extension Service in Jackson.

Bryan said a phenomenon called "heaving" -- the freezing and thawing action of soil pushing roots out of the ground -- causes most of the damage to winter crops, "particularly in young plants that may have been planted late."

He said damage to the crop is a possibility but less likely because the ice wasn't heavy enough to cause the wheat to lie down.

Most winter wheat is planted in October and harvested in late June or July. Snow cover is good for the crop, insulating it against the cold.

"But we didn't have much snow cover -- more ice," said Frank Corzier, acting county executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency in Anna, Ill.

Crozier said damage occurs if some of the plant is sticking out of the ice and is unprotected. "Ice can cause damage if it froze the tips, as far as growing," Crozier said.

Bill Colyer, who farms in East Cape Girardeau, has grown winter wheat but passed this year because the price has been so low. He said the freezes could have done some damage to the crop.

"It's possible when it freezes and causes the plant to push out of the ground, which would kill it," Colyer said.

He said he is growing corn and soybeans instead this year. "Don't ask me why. The prices aren't any better."

Paul Lanpher, a semi-retired farmer in Advance, said he doesn't think the freezes hurt his crop.

"It looks bad but this time of year it always looks bad. It turns brown but you don't know what's down in there."

Bryan said he doubts fruit crops were affected either.

"There might be a few buds that would have been bitten hard enough by the freeze. But they had pretty well hardened off.

"I don't think will be that much of a problem."

The ice probably caused more distress for livestock, Bryan said.

Cattle can get hurt by slipping on ice just the same as humans can. Their legs and feet are particularly vulnerable. Legs can be thrown out of joint or broken and the animal might not be able to get up.

"It also requires an extra amount of energy to keep the body going," Bryan said. "The energy requirement doubles or triples."

He said cattle that are not in good condition going into a hard freeze sometimes die.