Recipient Organization
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV
(N/A)
MISSISSIPPI STATE,MS 39762
Performing Department
UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION
Non Technical Summary
Agricultural and Natural Resource management is highly dependent upon accurate and timely weather information. The production of cotton, rice, soybeans and corn are also critically important to the region's economy. Success in the production of these agricultural commodities is directly linked to environmental conditions, including air and soil temperatures, rainfall timing and amounts, wind speed and direction, humidity, etc. The use of easily accessible and timely weather information and weather-based crop management tools are necessary for agriculturalists making informed management decisions. Currently, ongoing weather data is collected and archived in a centralized database and provided to the general public through a web-based framework. This system allows individuals such as farmers, crop consultants, agricultural research scientists, private and commercial agricultural pesticide applicators, Extension Service professionals and others access to weather
information useful in making critical decisions especially regarding agricultural crop management. Additionally, the archived weather data is utilized in the form of weather products, which are essentially growth and development prediction/modeling features. These specialized features allow agricultural weather clients to schedule management tasks including planting, irrigation, pesticide applications and harvesting
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
1.To collect pertinent quality weather data from agricultural meteorological weather sites located in the Mississippi Delta. This critical agricultural weather data will be archived and disseminated to researchers, Extension agents, producers, agencies and agriculture-related industry personnel primarily over the Internet. Weather data will be updated daily. 2.To develop a denser agricultural weather network in the Mississippi Delta using University and producers privately owned weather stations and using present NWS ASOS and Cooperative Observer Network weather sites. 3.To collect pertinent weather data and crop phenology data to keep our DD50/DD60 weather products current for the commonly used and new crop cultivars. 4.To assist other researchers, as requested, in the collection and analysis of necessary weather data in the microclimate of a crop for development of predictive models. 5.To continue supplying other agencies with weather data collected and archived by
the project as to allow their missions to be fulfilled.
Project Methods
Weather data from seventeen automated weather stations located in the Mississippi Delta are being collected and archived once a day. Weather data from sixteen of these sites include to air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, solar radiation, wind, and 2-inch soil temperature. These data are converted to a standard form, degree-day heat units are calculated, and the updated files are transferred to the Mississippi State University Extension Service server.The interactive web site allows users to select the weather site, a start date, a stop date, and the weather parameters/reports they want displayed or printed.