AgroClimate: Climate-based Decision Support for Southeast US Agriculture

Heather Dinon*, Ryan Boyles, and Gail Wilkerson

Carolinas and Virginia Climate Conference20-21 October 2009

Wilmington, NC

Virginia & Carolinas Climate Conference - October 20, 2009 - Wilmington, NC 2Virginia & Carolinas Climate Conference - October 20, 2009 - Wilmington, NC

Background

• Southeast Climate Consortium (SECC): partnership of 7 universities (FSU, UF, UMiami, UGA, UAH, Auburn, NCSU)– Goal: Integrate climate info & ag needs– Provides decision support tools on website, AgroClimate: http://agroclimate.org

“Developing partnerships and solutions for managing climate risks to agriculture and natural resources”

AgroClimate.org

• Web interface provides guidance:– Climate risk, yield risk, freeze risk, county yield

database, chill accumulation, GDD guidance

• Periodic climate and commodity-specific agricultural outlooks are available:– Climate phase forecast, summer climate

outlook, Spring crop progress & outlook

Target audience: Extension personnel, growers, researchers

AgroClimate Example

• Climate Risk Tool

Summary

• Issue: Climate and weather patterns influence agricultural practices

• Solution: AgroClimate web interface provides useful guidance/tools for agricultural community

Figure courtesy of Norman Breuer, University of Miami

Questions? Suggestions?

For more information, please visit

http://agroclimate.org/ or contact me:

hadinon@ncsu.edu