Heat drives growth. Summer brings long days and high temperatures that push crops toward maturity. Corn tassels, wheat ripens, and orchards fill with fruit. It is also the season when water becomes the limiting factor.

Farmers irrigate heavily, monitor pests, and prepare for harvest. Thunderstorms can bring relief or destruction, depending on timing and intensity. Hail can flatten a crop in minutes. Drought can cut yield before the season ends.

Typical summer work

• Irrigating and monitoring soil moisture
• Scouting for pests and disease
• Applying fungicides and insecticides
• Harvesting early crops
• Preparing storage and equipment

Heat stress affects livestock as well as plants. Dairy cattle produce less milk when temperatures climb, so farmers use shade, fans, and sprinklers to keep animals comfortable.