Cornell's Climate Smart Farming Program: Research, Tools, and Extension Support for Farmers in New York & the Northeast Dr. Allison Chatrchyan

Transcription

1 Cornell's Climate Smart Farming Program: Research, Tools, and Extension Support for Farmers in New York & the Northeast Dr. Allison Chatrchyan Cornell InsHtute for Climate Smart SoluHons & Climate Smart Farming Program PresentaHon for the 2nd Annual IPM Conference Climate, Weather, Data: ProtecHng Our Crops and Landscapes August 15, 2016, CCE Albany County, Voorheesville NY

2 How is Climate Variability and Change Affec8ng Farmers in the Northeast?

3 Time-series represents an areally weighted average of data from 56 stations in the Northeast that have been in operation continuously since Data from the NOAA-NCDC (ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ushcn).

4 The period between the last occurrence of 32 F in the spring and the first occurrence of 32 F in the fall, has increased in each U.S. region during rela8ve to NOAA/NCDC / CICS-NC.

5 Observed Trends in 1-day Very Heavy Precipita8on (1958 to 2012) The Northeast has had the greatest increase in heavy precipita8on in the United States. Source: NOAA/NCDC

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7 Weather vs. Climate Weather = The condi8ons of the atmosphere in terms of temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, and moisture, that happen over hours or days. Climate = average weather condi8ons in a place over many years (usually at least 30 years) Climate Change = Long-term change in Earth's climate Climate variability = The way climate fluctuates yearly above or below a long-term average value. Extremes = Extreme weather includes unexpected, unusual, severe or unseasonal weather; weather at the extremes of the historical distribu8on.

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9 Listening to Stakeholders Farmer Advisory Commiaee Climate Smart Farming Stories: : Mul8media Project: NYS Farmers in their Own Words Focus Groups & Surveys: Focus Groups with Producers & Advisors: with Penn State and UW Madison ( with USDA NE Hub and Dairy CAP) Joining Mul8-State Hatch Project: Food, Feed, Fuel, and Fiber: Security Under a Changing Climate: Enhance understanding of how ag stakeholders climate info and tools in their management decision processes ( ).

10 Climate Smart Farming Program Goals Increase farm resiliency to extreme weather events, climate variability and change, through assessing risk & adop8ng BMPS (adaptahon). Increase energy efficiency and renewable energy capacity to reduce GHG emissions and opera8ng costs, and u8lize BMPs (mihgahon). Sustainably increase agricultural produchvity and farming incomes, to contribute to regional & global food security.

11 CLIMATE CHANGE & AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS Agriculture in the Northeast is characterized by a diversity of products and produc8on systems, scales of opera8ons, and landscapes. Farmers need a variety of specific prac8ces and tools to help them with climate change adapta8on and mi8ga8on.

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13 CSF Prac8ces

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16 Climate Data & Models: Partnering with the NRCC & Researchers Models and Tools are Free to Use Available for farmers throughout the Northeast, from Na8onal Weather Service Daily Data Temperature data: interpolated to a 5km X 5km grid from NWS Coopera8ve Observer Network Precipita8on data: interpolated to a 5km X 5km grid from NWS radar data Giving data for the grid point nearest their loca8on (@2.5km)

17 CSF Growing Degree Day (GDD) Tool GDD: Measures heat accumula8on (development in plants is temperature-dependent). GDD Calcula8on: Average of Daily Min and Max Temp Base Temp. The CSF Tool: 15 year average more accurate representa8on of recent climate change Farmers & Advisors can use the tool to: Predict important stages in plant growth Predict pest and disease outbreaks Help with planning for and response to seasonal variability

18 CSF Growing Degree Day (GDD) Tool

19 CSF GDD Tool: Change Loca8on Change Loca8on

20 CSF GDD Tool: Seasonal Outlook

21 CSF Growing Degree Day (GDD) Tool Give us your Feedback: Link to Short Survey on Tool Page: hap://climatesmarqarming.org/tools/csf-growing-degreeday-calculator/ Improvements to Loca8on Picker Addi8onal GDD Thresholds Save Loca8on; Mul8ple Fields on the Farm Near-Term Goal: Compare Current situa8on and Seasonal Outlook, to Projected Long-term Changes in Climate

22 CSF Freeze Risk Tools Climate Change = Shiring Seasons, Warmer Winters Spring blooming trees are flowering earlier. Increases risk of damage from a spring frost when buds are highly suscep8ble. Developing Grape and Apple Tools. Farmers/Advisors Can Use the Tools to: Determine the level of freeze risk to crops due to sub-freezing temperatures Monitor the level of freeze tolerance of crops through 8me Track the phenological stage of development

23 CSF Freeze Risk Tools Using the Tools: Input crop variety and loca8on Toggle between observed temperature and seasonal outlook graphs of hardiness vs. temperature.

24 CSF Irriga8on Scheduling Tool Used to determine op8mum frequency and dura8on of watering The tool es8mates soil water content to create an outlook of current and future water deficits Farmers/Advisors use the tool to: Op8mize watering (minimize plant stress and conserve water) Contextualize current water deficits, given historical data and climate change

25 CSF Irriga8on Scheduler Using the Tool: Customize Output by Specific Loca8on, Soil Water Capacity, Crop Type, Plant Greenup Date, and Last Date of Irriga8on Tool produces a Graph with water deficit, forecast, and budget.

26 CSF Irriga8on Scheduler Change Loca8on. Customize Output by Soil Water Capacity, Crop Type, Plant Greenup Date, and Last Date of Irriga8on. Coming Soon: 30 Day Outlook. Near-Term Goal: Compare current situa8on to projected Long-term Changes in Climate.

27 Regional Data

28 NOAA Seasonal Outlook

29 Cornell CSF Extension Team

30 Dr. Kitty O Neil, Field Crops & Soil Health Extension Team Dr. Kim Morrill, Dairy Management Luke Haggerty, Viticulture Laura McDermott, Small Fruit Dr. Darcy Telenko, Vegetables & IPM Jesse Strzok, Ag Economics Currently NYS: Could Expand CSF Extension Team Model to Northeast/Other Regions

31 CSF Farmer Stories

32 CSF Forum: Sharing Prac8ces Create a Free Account: Get Answers, Share Information! climatesmartfarming.org/forum/

33 Training & Outreach : Building out the Climate Smart Farming Program, Extension Team, Resources and Website Tools 2016: Introducing CSF to extension and farmers at agriculture conferences: NYS Ag Society; Empire Farm Days! : Training for extension and farmers Feedback & Improvement: What other informahon & tools do farmers need??

34 Collabora8ve Infrastructure Researchers, Staff & Students Data & Models: Northeast Regional Climate Center & partners with NEWA: Art DeGaetano, Keith Eggleston Agriculture & Extension ExperHse: CALS Faculty, CSF Extension Team, Farmer Advisory Commiaee Computer Programmers: Rick Moore & Brian Belcher Website Design & Programming: Knowledge Town Support: USDA Federal Formula Hatch & Smith Lever Funds, and the New World Founda8on (2016)

35 QuesHons & Answers? Feedback from Farmers, Extension Specialists, and Partners

36 Thank You! Allison M. Chatrchyan, Ph.D. Director, Cornell Ins8tute for Climate Smart Solu8ons (CICCS) Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Tel: Web: