Monday, May 17, 2021 6:00-7:15 p.m.
Online via Zoom
Using Growing Degree Days
Art DeGaetano, Professor Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Director, NOAA Northeast Regional Climate Center
Climate Smart Farming, a program from Cornell University, has introduced a suite of tools to help farmers adapt to Climate Change. One of these tools estimates Growing degree days (GDD), or heat units. GDDs are used to estimate the growth and development of certain crops and pests during the growing season. Corn growth, for example, follows very closely the accumulation of average daily temperatures during its lifetime. The 3 main applications of GDD are planning succession plantings, long term monitoring for selecting varieties and insect scouting. Two other applications are anticipating fruit tree phenology (for disease and insect scouting) and also predicting % weed emergence.
Using Heat Tolerant Varieties
Emmalea Ernest, Scientist, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Vegetable & Fruit Program
Many vegetable crops experience yield loss or quality problems when exposed to heat stress. The UD Extension Vegetable and Fruit Program has been testing varieties for heat stress tolerance for several years and have identified heat tolerant snap beans, tomatoes, lettuce, sweet corn, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Emmalea will discuss the physiological stages most susceptible to heat stress and the heat tolerant varieties that have worked well in Delaware.
Register here.
This event is hosted by NOFA-New Jersey and is the result of the Climate Adaptation Fellowship, supported by the United States Department of Agriculture NIFA (Award #2017-68002-26728)