Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Climate Forecasts for Corn Producer Decision Making

Eugene S. Takle Agronomy Department, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

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Christopher J. Anderson Agronomy Department, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

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Jeffrey Andresen Department of Geography, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan

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James Angel Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois Urbana—Champaign, Champaign, Illinois

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Roger W. Elmore Agronomy Department, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

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Benjamin M. Gramig Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

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Patrick Guinan Department of Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

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Steven Hilberg Midwestern Regional Climate Center, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Champaign, Illinois

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Doug Kluck National Weather Service Central Region, Kansas City, Missouri

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Raymond Massey Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri USA

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Dev Niyogi Department of Agronomy, and Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

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Jeanne M. Schneider Great Plains Agroclimate and Natural Resources Research Unit, Grazinglands Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, El Reno, Oklahoma

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Martha D. Shulski School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska

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Dennis Todey Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota

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Melissa Widhalm Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

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Print Publication:
01 Mar 2014
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/2013EI000541.1
Page(s):
1–8
Restricted access

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Abstract

Corn is the most widely grown crop in the Americas, with annual production in the United States of approximately 332 million metric tons. Improved climate forecasts, together with climate-related decision tools for corn producers based on these improved forecasts, could substantially reduce uncertainty and increase profitability for corn producers. The purpose of this paper is to acquaint climate information developers, climate information users, and climate researchers with an overview of weather conditions throughout the year that affect corn production as well as forecast content and timing needed by producers. The authors provide a graphic depicting the climate-informed decision cycle, which they call the climate forecast–decision cycle calendar for corn.

Corresponding author address: Eugene S. Takle, 2010 Agronomy Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1010. E-mail address: gstakle@iastate.edu

Abstract

Corn is the most widely grown crop in the Americas, with annual production in the United States of approximately 332 million metric tons. Improved climate forecasts, together with climate-related decision tools for corn producers based on these improved forecasts, could substantially reduce uncertainty and increase profitability for corn producers. The purpose of this paper is to acquaint climate information developers, climate information users, and climate researchers with an overview of weather conditions throughout the year that affect corn production as well as forecast content and timing needed by producers. The authors provide a graphic depicting the climate-informed decision cycle, which they call the climate forecast–decision cycle calendar for corn.

Corresponding author address: Eugene S. Takle, 2010 Agronomy Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1010. E-mail address: gstakle@iastate.edu
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