2008 Purdue Top Farmer Workshop

A new article entitled 2008 Top Farmer Crop Workshop—Adding Value to Every Acre You Farm has been posted to the TFCW site. You can access the article by clicking on Monthly Update on the main TFCW page: http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/topfarmer/update.asp

The 2008 workshop agenda is now posted on the Top Farmer web site (http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/topfarmer/conference.asp), as well as lodging, parking, registration, and other information. We hope you will find interesting and insightful what we have in store for you this year, and we look forward to seeing you in July! If you have attended in the past few years, you will be receiving a hard copy of the program with a registration form in the mail in the next few days. To reserve your spot now, go ahead and register on-line at : http://www.conf.purdue.edu/TOPCROP.

We are offering a $100 registration discount this year to first time attendees (applies to full registrations only). Use the discount code TCFIRST when you register on-line, write this code on the mail-in form, or mention this if you register via phone. We encourage you to forward this email to any of your farming colleagues that you think might benefit from this program.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about this year’s program—and be sure to mark July 20 through 23 on your calendar.

Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2008 -- The U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) today released “Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3 (SAP 4.3): The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States.” The CCSP integrates the federal research efforts of 13 agencies on climate and global change. Today’s report is one of the most extensive examinations of climate impacts on U.S. ecosystems. USDA is the lead agency for this report and coordinated its production as part of its commitment to CCSP.

“The report issued today provides practical information that will help land owners and resource managers make better decisions to address the risks of climate change,” said Agriculture Chief Economist Joe Glauber.

The report was written by 38 authors from the universities, national laboratories, non-governmental organizations, and federal service. The report underwent expert peer review by 14 scientists through a Federal Advisory Committee formed by the USDA. The National Center for Atmospheric Research also coordinated in the production of the report. It is posted on the CCSP Web site at:

http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-3/default.php.

The report finds that climate change is already affecting U.S. water resources, agriculture, land resources, and biodiversity, and will continue to do so. Specific findings include:

Grain and oilseed crops will mature more rapidly, but increasing temperatures will increase the risk of crop failures, particularly if precipitation decreases or becomes more variable.

Higher temperatures will negatively affect livestock. Warmer winters will reduce mortality but this will be more than offset by greater mortality in hotter summers. Hotter temperatures will also result in reduced productivity of livestock and dairy animals.

Forests in the interior West, the Southwest, and Alaska are already being affected by climate change with increases in the size and frequency of forest fires, insect outbreaks and tree mortality. These changes are expected to continue.

Much of the United States has experienced higher precipitation and streamflow, with decreased drought severity and duration, over the 20th century. The West and Southwest, however, are notable exceptions, and increased drought conditions have occurred in these regions.

Weeds grow more rapidly under elevated atmospheric CO2. Under projections reported in the assessment, weeds migrate northward and are less sensitive to herbicide applications.

There is a trend toward reduced mountain snowpack and earlier spring snowmelt runoff in the Western United States.

Horticultural crops (such as tomato, onion, and fruit) are more sensitive to climate change than grains and oilseed crops.

Young forests on fertile soils will achieve higher productivity from elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Nitrogen deposition and warmer temperatures will increase productivity in other types of forests where water is available.

Invasion by exotic grass species into arid lands will result from climate change, causing an increased fire frequency. Rivers and riparian systems in arid lands will be negatively impacted.

A continuation of the trend toward increased water use efficiency could help mitigate the impacts of climate change on water resources.

The growing season has increased by 10 to 14 days over the last 19 years across the temperate latitudes. Species’ distributions have also shifted.

The rapid rates of warming in the Arctic observed in recent decades, and projected for at least the next century, are dramatically reducing the snow and ice covers that provide denning and foraging habitat for polar bears.

USDA agencies are responding to the risks of climate change. For example, the Forest Service is incorporating climate change risks into National Forest Management Plans and is providing guidance to forest managers on how to respond and adapt to climate change. The Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Services Agency are encouraging actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration through conservation programs. USDA’s Risk Management Agency has prepared tools to manage drought risks and is conducting an assessment of the risks of climate change on the crop insurance program.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.usda.gov/oce/global_change/
http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-3/default.php or
http://www.sap43.ucar.edu/.

Weather Trends for June

AgCrops Team Crop weather

May summary: It was a cool and damp month in most locations. Temperatures averaged several degrees below normal reducing evapotranspiration rates (which was a significant reduction). Rainfall was close to average with a tendency toward above normal rainfall in the south and normal in the north.

There were pockets of below average rainfall in central Ohio and far northwest Ohio and far northeast Ohio. Toledo and Columbus and Pittsburgh stations were below average, Dayton and Cleveland were near average and Cincinnati was above average. The cool weather which is very La Nina like made it seem much wetter of a month with little evapotranspiration.

June outlook: A change toward above normal temperatures is expected for June. Rainfall will be near average but that will come with high variability. It appears above normal rainfall is on tap in northern Ohio while a little below normal may occur in the south and average in between.
This week will see the best chances for rain especially north of I-70 Tuesday/Wednesday. Temperatures will reach 85-93 Thu/Fri. The high soil moisture content will keep temperatures from getting too high (a good thing). Next week will see highs mostly in the 80s, a few 90s far south. A few rain chances early and late in the week again especially in the north.
The following week will see more isolated storms with warm weather.

Source: James Noel, NOAA, Wilmington, Ohio

James.Noel@noaa.gov

Wheat Pollination

This is a critical time to scout wheat fields for disease and insects. Pollination is occuring in wheat fields throughout Ross and surrounding counties. See the latest issue of the C.O.R.N. newsletter for cereal leaf beetle larvae control as several other timely crop issues.