Yesterday morning the NDAWN station near Eldred recorded a low of 19 degrees Fahrenheit while the NDAWN station near Stephen dipped as low as 13 degrees Fahrenheit. Luckily the blanket of snow ensured that soil temperatures were much milder and and at a 4 inch depth the soil temperatures never dropped below 32 degrees Fahrenheit at either location. Nonetheless I have heard a fair amount of worries about the viability of the seed that made it into ground last week and terms like imbibitional chilling were mentioned. Imbibitional chilling is defined as the injury that results from the chilling effect that seeds may experience when they imbibe or absorb water. The mechanism of this imbibitional chilling injury in seeds is different from chilling or freezing injury of hydrated tissues. The result, however, is much the same as it can result in poor seedling establishment, stand losses, and therefor, ultimately, yield. Warm season species like corn and soybeans are more sus