Wetter, Wetter, Wetter: Ein ständiges Anliegen der Züchter

Wetter, Wetter, Wetter: Ein ständiges Anliegen der Züchter Brad Kisch September 25, 2022
Ask any grower around the world what one thing will determine the outcome of the season and you will get a surprisingly consistent answer – the weather.

Each year, Mother Nature can bring benefits or unexpected challenges. And growers must take what comes their way and pivot to produce the nutritious food the world relies on, while also managing their business.

And continued affects of climate change – from increased droughts, more intense storms, and new pest migrations due to warming temperatures – are all making managing what weather patterns bring even more challenging.

Weather Impact on 2022 Harvests

Mother Nature refused to bring rain to many areas this year and growers around the world endured hot and dry weather, much of which broke record temperatures.

And those extremes impacted growers significantly. In the United States, 75 percent of growers reported seeing a reduction in harvest yields because of drought, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

In Spain, prolonged heat waves combined with drought had farmers along the La Vinuela reservoir removing trees from their avocado orchards as an attempt to help the remaining trees access enough water.

In addition to heat waves and drying conditions, growers also had to contend with water-pumping restrictions, not to mention the high cost of fuel needed to pump the water.

What’s the Forecast?

The probability of more weather extremes remains high, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which stated studies indicate “that extreme weather events such as heat waves and large storms are likely to become more frequent or more intense with climate change.”

In more than half the country, dry conditions are expected to remain throughout 2022, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In fact, close to 50 percent of the country is in a persistent drought that will continue through December, NOAA said. That includes all of Nevada, Utah, and Oklahoma; almost all of California, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana; and a good portion of Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Concerning the weather and the challenges it will bring next year, growers realize the importance of remaining efficient in managing their costs while improving their crops’ health and enhancing quality and yield in the process.

That’s where innovative agricultural technology and knowledgeable partners can help.

At Stoller®, we are here to share our deep understanding of plant health and multiple solutions that can improve grower operations to make their operations more sustainable.

Learn more about how Stoller Group can help you be more efficient with managing your crops by contacting your local subsidiary