216 Symposium--Improving Climate Information for Midwestern Crop Production

Oral Session
Special Sessions
Successful crop production in the U.S. Corn Belt is closely connected with favorable temperature and precipitation patterns, but ongoing changes in the climate system are creating serious challenges for farm management. Incorporating climate information into farming decisions is one way to reduce economic risks and production losses. However, research shows the majority of farmers and agricultural advisors underutilize climate information.  Useful to Usable (U2U): Transforming Climate Variability and Change Information for Cereal Crop Producers is a USDA-NIFA supported research and extension project focused on improving the usability of climate information for agricultural production in the Midwestern United States. Our highly diverse team of experts includes partners from nine Midwestern universities specializing in climatology, agronomy, crop modeling, information technology, evaluation, Extension, economics and other social sciences. Together we are integrating biophysical and social science research to develop usable climate-based decision support tools for farmers and agricultural advisors.

This session will feature a holistic view of U2U project activities and outcomes. Topics include:

  • using social science research to improve decision support tool design and communication;
  • how crop and economic modeling can help us understand potential climate impacts and adaptation strategies;
  • a look at new web-based tools to support agricultural decision-making;
  • using partnerships, outreach and evaluation to improve the use and uptake of climate information.

Approved for 2.0 CM CEUs.

Cosponsor(s):

Climatology & Modeling
Education & Extension
Special Sessions

Agroclimatology and Agronomic Modeling Community
Extension Education Community
Global Climate Change Community

Tuesday, November 17, 2015: 9:30 AM-11:50 AM
Minneapolis Convention Center, L100 A

Organizer:
Melissa Widhalm
Moderator:
Linda Prokopy
9:30 AM
Introductory Remarks
10:05 AM
Assessing the Impact of Climatic Variability and Change on Maize Production in the Midwestern USA with Crop Simulation Models.
Jeff Andresen, Michigan State University; Dev Niyogi, Purdue University; Gopal Alagarswamy, Michigan State University; Paul Delamater, George Mason University; Benjamin Gramig, Purdue University; Xing Liu, Purdue University; Linda Prokopy, Purdue University; Larry Biehl, Purdue University; Melissa Widhalm, Purdue University; Eugene Takle, Iowa State University; Chris Anderson, Iowa State University
10:20 AM
A Land Information System (LIS) Based Dataset for Regional Agro-Hydro-Climatic Assessments over the U.S. Corn Belt.
Xing Liu, Purdue University; Elin Jacobs, Purdue University; Larry Biehl, Purdue University; Anil Kumar, Purdue University; Dev Niyogi, Purdue University
10:35 AM
Break
10:50 AM
Climate Information for Agronomic Decision Tools.
Dennis Todey, South Dakota State University; Jeff Andresen, Michigan State University; James Angel, University of Illinois; Benjamin Gramig, Purdue University; Pat Guinan, University of Missouri; Chad Hart, Iowa State University; Melissa Widhalm, Purdue University; Olivia Kellner, University of Illinois; Larry Biehl, Purdue University; Dev Niyogi, Purdue University
11:05 AM
The Agronomic Content of U2U's Climate Responsive Decision Tools.
Hans F. Schmitz, Purdue University; Dennis Todey, South Dakota State University; Melissa Widhalm, Purdue University
11:20 AM
The Economic Content of U2U's Climate Responsive Decision Tools.
Otto Doering, Purdue University; Ben Gramig, Purdue University; Chad Hart, Iowa State University; Ray Massey, University of Missouri
11:35 AM
Promoting and Evaluating Decision Support Tools.
Jenna Klink, University of Wisconsin-Extension; Vikram Koundinya, University of Wisconsin-Extension; Chad Hart, Iowa State University; Amber Schmechel, University of Wisconsin-Extension
11:50 AM
Adjourn
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