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 “Farmers ask me more questions about climate change than any
other group,” said Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel,
Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois. “Climate
change affects their bottom line, so they need to know about
temperature and precipitation changes that will influence their
operation.”
Climate is the long-term average weather, and changes are
important to watch. In Illinois, too much rain and a damp
climate, especially in the spring, can lead to delayed planting,
soil erosion, and saturated soils. With a 10 to 15 percent
higher precipitation average annually, this trend, which started
in the 1960s, has become more pronounced in the past 10 years
across the Midwest.
This year Illinois experienced the third wettest July on record,
and last year was the wettest June and second wettest December
on record.
Temperature changes have not been as dramatic as those of
precipitation, but summers have more frequent humid weather,
which is uncomfortable for livestock. High dew point
temperatures, a measure of humid conditions, used to be rare,
Angel said. In the past few years, these conditions are more
likely to occur. With high humidity, temperatures don’t cool
down as much in the nighttime hours.
The milder winters experienced in the past two years in Illinois
allow more pests, weeds, and pathogens to overwinter in
Illinois. Such effects of climate change may lower crop yields
and quality, requiring changes in management practices.
Mild winters also coax spring plants to emerge too early,
increasing their risk for a spring frost. These conditions
occurred in 2007 and 2012, when apple and peach trees failed to
deliver a bountiful crop.
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Angel encourages farmers to use climate change tools on the Useful
to Useable (U2U) website (AgClimate4U.org). The site features an ag
climate viewer, climate patterns viewer, corn nitrogen rate
calculator, probable fieldwork days, and other tools. U2U is an
integrated research and extension project that helps farmers adapt
to climate change and make better long-term plans.
“People often compare this year with previous years, thinking this
year is like it was in 2012 or 2014,” Angel said. “They try to
predict future weather based on conditions from a previous year. But
no two years are ever alike.”
About the Prairie Research Institute: The Prairie Research
Institute (PRI) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
comprises the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State
Archaeological Survey, Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois
State Water Survey, and Illinois Sustainable Technology Center. PRI
provides objective natural and cultural resource expertise, data,
research, service, and solutions for decision making, the
stewardship of Illinois’ resources, and the public good.
www.prairie.illinois.edu
[Lisa Sheppard] |
