Crops
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Scientific American recently posted an article describing a new study that shows an increase in highly amplified jet stream patterns which can lock into place for long periods. This can lead to simultaneous droughts and associated food shortages in different parts of the world, especially important grain-producing areas. If this continues to occur, that would…
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The Earth Institute at Columbia University posted a story this week which discussed a new study about how climate change is affecting the Corn Belt in the United States. There are two main effects: the first is that warming temperatures are increasing the rates of evaporation of soil moisture, leading to more droughts. This is…
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One of the most effective ways of producing crops year after year is to provide irrigation to make sure the plants have enough moisture to germinate, grow and yield good crops. Sometimes it only takes a few inches of rain a year, applied at the right time, to get your crop through a dry spell.…
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Those of you who like history may be interested in this recent article describing the cause of one of Europe’s worst famines from 1315 to 1317. Unlike many famines, this one was probably not caused by drought but by unrelenting rain that caused severe flooding. You can read more about it and how they learned…
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A blast of Arctic air is expected to move into Georgia on Tuesday, November 11, bringing rain and gusty winds through the state over the day. Once the cold front passes, frigid air is expected to drop temperatures below freezing in most of the state except the far southern counties and the coastal areas on…
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If you haven’t been paying attention, you should know that Georgia is in a Supreme Court battle with Florida (and to a lesser extent Alabama) over how water passing through Georgia from the northeast mountains through Atlanta and down into the fertile southwestern part of the state before heading south into Florida should be allocated…
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While temperature and related growing degree days help control how fast corn and other crops develop, it’s less well known that solar radiation also has an effect. If it’s warm but cloudy, the corn growth will be slower than if skies are sunny. This is one reason that we are planning to put a solar…