Crops
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Dairy Herd Management has one of the best discussions I have seen about the end of the current El Niño and what is likely to happen with the coming La Niña. It’s written in a general way, not geared to livestock, so crop producers and foresters should read it too. Here’s the link. Unlike El…
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news, Climate science, Crops, Drought, El Nino and La Nina, Livestock -
Kansas AgLand posted a story today about the record wheat yields they are harvesting in parts of the Plains. Perfect rainfall and temperature conditions have combined to fill the bins with amazing amounts of wheat across a wide area. Even the less desirable strains in dryland fields are yielding excellent results. Unfortunately, the good yields…
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I’ve seen a number of articles in the last few days describing impacts of groundwater withdrawals on infrastructure and agriculture. Here are two that struck me. Sputnik News reports that the Chinese city of Beijing is sinking at the rate of 11 cm (over 4 inches) per year due to heavy withdrawals of groundwater. The…
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Brad Haire of the Southeast Farm Press reported this week that periods of dry weather punctuated by downpours led to problems with establishment of cotton around the state. He quoted Jared Whitaker, UGA Cotton Specialist, as saying “The planting window was very dry during most of the period but interrupted with big rainfall events. With dry…
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The Packer reported this week that the sweet corn season is winding down in Georgia, just about at the average time for ending the harvest here. They noted that Georgia corn yields are expected to be lighter than usual due to heavy rains in some areas, which could lead to reduced supplies going into the…
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Even though it has been hot and mostly dry in the Southeast, in France and Spain soggy weather has caused problems for farmers as well as contributing to the floods that have plagued Paris in recent weeks. AgWeb posted an article this week saying that wheat harvesting is 8-10 days behind normal due to the…
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For farmers in India, the rains from the monsoon can make or break their crops for the year. This seasonal onset of the rainy season varies from one place to another and is linked to land-ocean temperature differences between the Indian Ocean and the Indian subcontinent. It is also intimately linked to the El Niño…