Climate and Ag in the news
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This week The Packer published a story describing growing conditions for Florida fall produce. The weather has been favorable for planting, growth, and harvest. Overall, things look quite good and there should be plenty of fresh Florida produce available for the holidays and every day. Lots of variety, too. You can read more here.
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You might recall how hot it got last summer in the Pacific Northwest, with astoundingly hot temperatures. As you can imagine, it caused a lot of problems for fruit growers. Growing Produce published a story that described some of the impacts of the heatwave on their fruit production. The quotes and images are striking in…
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The rainy and cloudy weather this summer has reduced the yield of pecans according to this article in Vegetable and Specialty Crop News. Pollination and early development was delayed due to spring weather and cloudy weather during the nut-filling season reduced the development of the kernels, leading to light yields compared to sunnier years. Producers…
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This is not primarily a post about agriculture and climate, but I did get this question last year so thought other people might wonder about the answer too. The short answer is that, like my cat, cows like routine in their mealtimes, and they don’t read clocks. For a more detailed answer, check out this…
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In this blog, I have highlighted a number of ways that farmers are adapting to a changing climate. One of these ways is to change what types of crops they grow. In the Southeast, producers are adding new crops like satsumas and olives to the traditional mix. Here is a story about a farmer in…
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news -
According to an article this week in Southeast Farm Press, entomologists say that this year’s infestation of fall armyworms is the worst that they have seen since the 1970s. According to the story, “There were many elements that led to this massive infestation. The biggest factor was the perfect storm of environmental conditions. These conditions…
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In climatology, we talk about internal and external causes of climate variations. These can include things like how much sunlight is hitting the earth, volcanic eruptions, cloud coverage across the globe, and changes in the land surface. Here is an insightful article describing how internal and external variability in climate are both important but different…