Crops
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The strange combination of floods in California and very warm conditions out east are causing problems for some agricultural producers around the country. The Packer noted here that the heavy rain in California is delaying harvest of some strawberries and citrus, and is making vegetable planting problematic. Many fields are covered by water and berries…
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Food and Wine had an interesting story today about a new line of broccoli developed by scientists in the United Kingdom that is impervious to weather conditions. They say the new broccoli line goes from seed to harvest in as little as eight weeks, and can grow two full crops each season when planted outdoors.…
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The Southeast Farm Press reported this week that long-standing research in North Carolina shows corn and soybean yields in the Blacklands can be increased by 10 percent on average if control drainage systems are in place to manage water. These systems not only get excess rainfall off of the fields quickly but also have the…
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Iowa State University has announced a new set of publications discussing the impacts of weather and climate on several specialty crops. The publications are listed collectively as “Climate and Weather: Specialty Crop Growers’ Views and Priorities to Manage Uncertainty in Production Systems.” While most these publications are aimed at folks from the Midwest, there is…
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Clint Thompson of UGA has written a story featuring Dr. Bob Kemerait on the negative impacts of our warm winter on crops in the Southeast. The warmer temperatures have allowed “volunteer” peanuts or “volunteer cotton plants to regrow, increasing nematode populations and allowing crop diseases to shelter in place over the winter months. Dr. Kemerait…
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According to the USA-NPN’s Spring Indices, spring is arriving 20 days earlier than a long-term average (1981-2010) in much of the Southeastern US. The Extended Spring Indices are models that predict the onset of early spring plants across the United States. You can see these maps as well as maps of Accumulated Growing Degree Days…
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Yale Climate Connections had an interesting story this week on O’Hare Airport and its vegetable garden. The airport grows 44 different varieties of edible plants, which are used in some of the airport restaurants. I have not been through O’Hare in some time but the next time I am there you can be sure I…