Crops
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Cover crops are often used to help reduce erosion and keep moisture and nutrients in the soil. But a recent article in AgWeb points out that they also work well as forage for cattle. A variety of choices of cover crop can be used, and the article describes some of the advantages and disadvantages of each…
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“If you think about it, farmers should be on the cutting edge of climate change discussions: They are directly affected as weather patterns shift, and they have the opportunity be part of the solution by sequestering carbon. But American farm groups have mostly opposed climate policies.” This is the start of an interesting interview in Grist…
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The US Golf Association recently published an article describing the impacts of the wet conditions associated with El Niño on golf courses across the Southeast. The impacts include saturated soils, increased rutting from golf carts, higher than normal water hazards, and stress on greens. If you manage turfgrass, on or off the golf course, or…
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There have been a number of stories about the impacts of the recent extreme weather on crops and production. Here are a few examples. The Packer reported here that January wind and rain have caused problems for corn growers in southern Florida. The rain and wind knocked down corn plants, ruining any potential harvest. This…
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On this date 39 years ago, bitterly cold weather swept south through the Florida peninsula, causing incredible damage to Florida’s citrus industry and providing a few snow flurries as far south as Miami, although only a trace was reported in the official records. The Miami Herald describes it in an article here. “The snow and…
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The Southeast Farm Press had a short article today discussing the effects of the cold air that has finally filtered into the Southeast on young rapeseed. Because of the warm December, the plants were growing more actively than usual for this time of year, and the recent cold has done some damage to the plants.…
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It’s a weekend and pro football playoffs are on televisions across the Southeast (at least in my household). So naturally, thoughts may turn to beer. Well, NCEI has anticipated this with a blog post this week about the relationship between climate and beer. You can read it at https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-and/climate-beer. One of the ways in which climate…