Local growers and fresh food markets have raised concerns about sun damage in the region, but lettuce is also coming under attack from heat-related root diseases.

Hastings Lettuce Farm's Mark Oliff and Tracey Eastwood said the hot weather was affecting plant root systems in the region

"Soil borne diseases are affecting roots at the moment, they're most active when it's hot," they said.

"When it's a hot day in the mid to high 40s the disease attacks the roots of some lettuces, they disintegrate and go all mushy.

"It's very common for hydroponics in tropical regions."

The growers said the hot conditions were resulting in some lettuce root systems being affected on multiple farms, collapsing and having to be discarded.

"Over the last three years the weather has been particularly hot," they said.

"On that Australia Day weekend we had 41 to 42 degree days on the Saturday and Sunday, it nailed all the lettuces.

"Last two years have been warmer than usual, each summer has been fairly dry... Summers are drier than normal."

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