Farmers' Forecast Helps Growers with Mid-Year Management

By Jim.Robinson|June 21, 2011

Farmers have already seen numerous adverse weather trends this year that have had a major impact on the planting decisions made on their farms. As critical mid-season management decisions approach, farmers can continue to count on Farmers’ Forecast at www.weather.com/farming for their agriculture-specific weather forecasts.

“When thinking of weather and its impact on farming, immediate thoughts are likely related to the planting and harvest seasons, but mid-season weather can play just as key a role in crop success,” said Scott Rismiller, Interactive Marketing Lead for Monsanto. “Monsanto and The Weather Channel have built Farmers’ Forecast so that it can be a comprehensive and effective tool for farmers year-round.”

Rain, or lack thereof, can be a major concern for farmers in the summer months, but Farmers’ Forecast features tools that go beyond the simple prediction of rain or drought. New in 2011, the Hourly Forecast feature provides farmers with forecasted temperature, wind speed and precipitation chance data in three-hour increments, which can be crucial when planning summer irrigation and herbicide applications. Additionally, tools like the Growing Degree Days Calculator, TruPoint Radar Mapping and the Seasonal Outlook can help farmers plan ahead for what management decisions may need to be made at key mid-season times.

While the La Nina pattern, which has contributed to extreme drought in the cotton growing regions of Texas and heavy rains and flooding in parts of the Mid-South and Midwest, is forecasted to weaken, forecasters advise farmers to stay ahead of conditions and monitor forecasts for their areas as much as possible.

“The overall weather patterns may trend in a particular direction, but that doesn’t mean individual weather events can’t happen that are opposite the trend,” said Jonathan Erdman, senior meteorologist at The Weather Channel. “Utilizing the tools available that are part of Farmers’ Forecast, farmers are given the ability to make more confident management decisions that can have a positive impact on the success of their crops.”