Fruit growers in Arkansas prepare for more cold temperatures

(AP) – Arkansas fruit growers are preparing for another round
of freezing temperatures this weekend.The National Weather Service estimates a low temperature of 29 degrees Sunday in northwest Arkansas.

Guy Ames is a Washington County fruit producer. He says he lost about $4,500 worth of Asian pears because of cold temperatures last week. He says the fruit is hard to protect when temperatures drop.

Fruit producer Rex Barnhill says he’s preparing for the weekend weather by
pumping his strawberries with groundwater and covering them with blankets. He says blankets hold heat in and can give the plants up to 6 degree warmer air temperature.

Barnhill says his plants’ survival depends on how long the temperatures stay below freezing. He advises other growers to protect their plants from frost by covering them.

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