ABEn 163 - Plant and Livestock Systems and Environmental Control Engineering

EFFECTS OF WIND ON PLANT PRODUCTION

Lecture Notes

INTRODUCTION
Plants and wind are two essential elements of the human environment. Plant motion
is a visual manifestation of the reality of wind, as is illustrated in the poetry of all cultures. It is
also used to scale wind velocity, as stated in the Beaufort scale. Plant windthrow has been a
concern for human kind over the ages because of its impact on food availability and habitat.
Plant growth is affected by wind, as can be seen in flag trees. Wind direction and velocity have
significant influence on crop growth.

IMPACTS OF WIND IN CROP PRODUCTION

1. Beneficial Impacts
2. Physiological Impacts
3. Mechanical Impacts

BENEFICIAL IMPACTS

a. Wind increases the turbulence in atmosphere, thus increasing the supply of carbon
dioxide to the plants resulting in greater photosynthesis rates.
b. Wind alters the balance of hormones.
c. Moderate wind aids in effective pollinations.
d. A minimum wind speed of 15 km per hour is needed for winnowing operations.
e. Nitrogen concentration in both barley and rice increase with increase in wind speed

Some air movement is good for plants (it helps reduce disease), but persistent or strong
winds are not.

MECHANICAL IMPACTS

a. Wind causes mechanical lacerations and bruises on the tissues of crop plants,
b. Violent winds cause lodging of crop plants such as wheat, maize, sugarcane, rice etc.,
c. A very high velocity of wind (gale, blizzard, hurricane, cyclone etc., breaks dead and
living branches of trees and even uproots them completely,
 d. In bare deserts, high velocity of wind causes constant soil erosion and this makes it
difficult for plants to grow,
e. Wind has a powerful effect on the humidity of atmosphere.

a. lodging due to strong winds b. Uprooted tree due to strong wind

Image retrieved from: https://agritech.tnau.ac.in/agriculture/agri_agrometeorology_wind

PHYSIOLOGICAL IMPACTS

a. Wind increases the rate of transpiration in plants.

b. Hot dry winds cause much damage to crops at the time of flowering.
c. The internal water balance of plants is affected resulting in poor seed setting.
d. Another form of damage in blossom injury caused by evaporation of secretions from
the stigmas.

Why plants don’t like wind? …

In persistent wind, plants close their leaf pores (called ‘stomata’) to reduce water loss.
Closing these pores also limits the plants ability to breath, slowing growth (and your harvests)
by 50% or more. Wind will also make containers dry out faster, adding more stress to your
plants. In strong winds, plants can be physically damaged. Stems snap, leaves and flowers
are ripped off (Smith, 2017).

WIND AFFECTING RATES OF TRANSPIRATION

Wind can alter rates of transpiration by removing the boundary layer, that still layer of
water vapor hugging the surface of leaves. Wind increases the movement of water from leaf
surface when it reduces the boundary layer, because the path for water to reach the
atmosphere is shorter.

WIND DOES AFFECT PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Wind first affects exchanges by convection, as a leaf surface is swept by wind. The
boundary layer generally becomes turbulent, which significantly enhances convection
exchanges.

Second indirect effect of wind on Photosynthesis is through light shredding. Wind-

induced motion of leaves and plants plays a significant role in the shredding of light inside the
canopy.

EFFECTS OF WIND TO CROP QUALITY

Wind-borne soil and sand particles pelt leaves and other plant parts, puncturing,
abrading and causing sores as well as tearing the leaves into strips and fragments.

a. Plant leaves covered with soil and particles b. teared banana leaves

Image retrieved from: https://www.123rf.com/photo_22526591_banana-tree-with-broken-

leaves-caused-wind.html

How does wind injure plants?

• The force, direction, and persistence of the wind determine the type of damage
plants may suffer.
-Most damage occurs with winds above 30 miles per hour. Strong gusty winds
can shred leaves, tear off flowers, break branches, and uproot shrubs and trees leaving
 plants susceptible to further damage from insects and disease (Wind - UC Marin
Master Gardeners, n.d.).

• Constant wind pulls moisture from foliage.

-Faster than roots can draw it from the soil causing leaves to wilt and brown
around the edges. Plants have to work harder to keep from drying out.

• Wind effects differ with air temperature and moisture levels.

-Wind increases the harmful effects on plants of freezing conditions, extreme

heat, and drought.

• Coastal areas may experience more damage.

-Near the coast, wind plus fog and salt spray make it difficult for many plants to
survive.

Is there a solution?

PROTECTION OF PLANTS FROM WIND DAMAGE

1. Windbreaks and Shelters

Refers to growing trees and tall crops across the direction of prevailing wind to
reduce the physiological and mechanical damage to crops. Wind breaks reduces the
wind velocity and creates favorable microclimate.

What sort of windbreak?

a. Netting

Image retrieved from: https://www.verticalveg.org.uk/growing-in-the-wind/

b. Woven wood panels -An attractive alternative to netting, is panels of woven
wood.

Image retrieved from: https://blog.woodland-ways.co.uk/woodcraft/hurdle-

wind-break/
c. Living windbreaks – use of plants. (e.g. Bamboo, Madre de Cacao (Gliricidia
sepium)

✓ Bamboo

Image Retrieved from: https://www.bambooland.com.au/useful-info/about-

bamboo

✓ Madre de Cacao (Gliricidia sepium)

Image retrieved from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/478929741592983218/

 Other Examples:

Image retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windbreak

Image retrived from:

https://agritech.tnau.ac.in/agriculture/agri_agrometeorology_wind

2. Tie up your plants well and adjust watering routines to reduce the impact of the
wind.

Image retrieved from: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/staking-tomatoes-guide

3. Choose plants that are better adapted to the wind.

No plants actually like strong winds. But some are better adapted than others.
 REFERENCES

Agrometeorology: Wind and Plant Growth. (n.d.). Agritech.tnau.ac.in.

https://agritech.tnau.ac.in/agriculture/agri_agrometeorology_wind.html#:~:text=Wind

%20direction%20and%20velocity%20have%20significant%20influence%20on%20cr

op%20growth.&text=Wind%20increases%20the%20turbulence%20in

Wind - UC Marin Master Gardeners. (n.d.). Marinmg.ucanr.edu.

https://marinmg.ucanr.edu/PROBLEMS/EXTREME_CONDITIONS/Wind/#:~:text=Str

ong%20gusty%20winds%20can%20shred

Wind velocity and its effect on crop production. (2021, February 25). Agri Learner.

http://www.agrilearner.com/wind-velocity-effect-crop-production/

Wind: why it’s a problem and how to reduce its impact. (2016, October 20). Vertical Veg.

https://www.verticalveg.org.uk/growing-in-the-wind/

https://www.verticalveg.org.uk/growing-in-the-wind/

https://blog.woodland-ways.co.uk/woodcraft/hurdle-wind-break/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windbreak

https://www.bambooland.com.au/useful-info/about-bamboo

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/478929741592983218/

https://agritech.tnau.ac.in/agriculture/agri_agrometeorology_wind
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/staking-tomatoes-guide