July 14, 2022 — After a short respite from high temperatures, the Salinas Valley will once again experience a heatwave starting Thursday, July 14 and continuing through the middle of next week.
Morning lows will range from the upper 40°s to low 60°s and daytime highs for inland areas will be in the 80°s to low 100°s; coastal areas should remain in the 70°s.
This cycle of rising high pressure and heat spikes every two weeks has been going on since early June and is not typical of Salinas Valley weather patterns. Many crops have reacted poorly to the heat and elevated humidity levels, causing widespread quality and shelf-life concerns in commodity and value-added crops.
As a result, Markon First Crop (MFC) and Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) specifications have been harder to meet. Due to crops not meeting MFC specifications, we are currently substituting a higher percentage of Markon Best Available (MBA).
The most common heat-related defects observed:
Baby Leaf and Other Lettuces:
Bolting/seeder
Growth cracks
Inconsistent growth/fluctuating density
Increased insect pressure
Internal burn/tip burn
Shortened shelf-life
Sun burn/sun scalding
Leaf lettuce showing internal burn and decay.
Broccoli:
Accelerated growth/oversized crowns
Dehydration
Hollow core
Pin rot
Shortened shelf-life
Yellowing
Strawberries:
Decreased size
Lower volume
Increased bruising
Soft texture
Shortened shelf-life
Berries sizing smaller due to the heat.
Markon inspectors continue to work with suppliers to allocate the best product for our orders. Maintaining the cold chain throughout distribution is critical for maximizing quality and shelf-life.
July 14, 2022 — After a short respite from high temperatures, the Salinas Valley will once again experience a heatwave starting Thursday, July 14 and continuing through the middle of next week.
Morning lows will range from the upper 40°s to low 60°s and daytime highs for inland areas will be in the 80°s to low 100°s; coastal areas should remain in the 70°s.
This cycle of rising high pressure and heat spikes every two weeks has been going on since early June and is not typical of Salinas Valley weather patterns. Many crops have reacted poorly to the heat and elevated humidity levels, causing widespread quality and shelf-life concerns in commodity and value-added crops.
As a result, Markon First Crop (MFC) and Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) specifications have been harder to meet. Due to crops not meeting MFC specifications, we are currently substituting a higher percentage of Markon Best Available (MBA).
The most common heat-related defects observed:
Baby Leaf and Other Lettuces:
Bolting/seeder
Growth cracks
Inconsistent growth/fluctuating density
Increased insect pressure
Internal burn/tip burn
Shortened shelf-life
Sun burn/sun scalding
Leaf lettuce showing internal burn and decay.
Broccoli:
Accelerated growth/oversized crowns
Dehydration
Hollow core
Pin rot
Shortened shelf-life
Yellowing
Strawberries:
Decreased size
Lower volume
Increased bruising
Soft texture
Shortened shelf-life
Berries sizing smaller due to the heat.
Markon inspectors continue to work with suppliers to allocate the best product for our orders. Maintaining the cold chain throughout distribution is critical for maximizing quality and shelf-life.
