Crops
-
Farmers adapt to variable weather all the time in managing their farms and crops. Here are a couple of articles I ran across recently which describe two ways that farmers have used to improve their bottom line. Vegetable Growers News published an article on the use of high tunnels by South Carolina producers to extend the…
-
The Southeast Farm Press published a story earlier this week discussing the importance of cooperative weather this year for South Carolina peanut farmers. According to their article, “After last year’s historic floods that devastated the state’s peanut crop, South Carolina must have a good crop this year to help recover from last year’s disaster. In…
-
I ran across a couple of articles this week describing the impacts of climate on cattle feed which you might find interesting. Growing Georgia published an article from Clint Thompson at UGA discussing the benefits of using forage sorghum instead of corn in areas that have water deficits. Sorghum uses less water and can be…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…