Expert talks about heat effect on crops

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - We've heard your questions about what kind of effect the heat will have on this year's potato crops.

University of Idaho plant sciences professor Mike Thornton says it's simply too early to tell if the higher than normal temperatures will have an impact.

In places where those temperatures are hotter to begin with, the heat may have more of an impact, instead of places like east Idaho.

"An important point is we still have two months left in the season before most the crop gets harvested." Thornton said. "So who knows what's going to happen in the next two months. Most of the potato growth happens in July and into mid-August. So we still have quite a bit of time for this crop to come out really well."

Thornton also says there's not much of a likelihood of hollow heart in potatoes this year, as that defect occurs when you have a cooler spring, then it heats up really fast.

This year, since we had warmer weather in the spring, it might not be as common of an occurrence this year.