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The Southeast Farm Press noted this week that North Carolina has had a disappointing wheat crop this year, due in part to poor weather which affected yields. They noted that “Wet weather this year has lowered nutrient uptake in wheat and increased disease pressure. Due to a soggy February, Pythium root rot and crown rot…
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So far May 2016 has had variable temperature and precipitation conditions. Most areas of the Southeast have been above normal in temperature, particularly South Carolina. Rainfall has varied widely, with North Carolina and Virginia receiving the most along with a strip of the western Florida peninsula. Alabama and Georgia have been dry. According to the…
Posted in: Climate outlooks -
One area of hot research in reducing carbon emissions is work on reducing the emission of methane from cattle digestion. While cow belches do not put as much carbon into the air as the burning of fossil fuel for transportation and energy production, it is one area in agriculture that is being studied to see…
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This week is Hurricane Awareness week for NOAA. All week the National Weather Service will be providing information about hurricanes and tropical storm risk. In the Southeast we are particularly vulnerable to Atlantic hurricanes, and after more than ten years without a strong storm, it feels like we are overdue for one. Today’s blog post…
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Today is the first day of the official tropical season in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. And right on time, we see a 10% chance of formation from a disorganized system of clouds. As we swing from El Niño to La Niña this summer, we are likely to see fewer than usual storms in the Eastern…
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The Southeast Farm Press reported this week that a frost which hit the Tobacco Belt in mid-April caused damage to some young tobacco transplants this year. Initial concerns were for a significantly reduced crop, but most fields have recovered with little loss, it appears. The report states that “The damage seemed worse on the light/sandy…
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In preparation for an interview next week, I am reading “The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl.” It’s a great book, and I am enjoying it. I was struck this morning by a description of the dust storms of mid-May, 1934 (82 years ago this week),…