Agclimate: Crop Yield Risk Decision Support System for the Southeastern Usa

Seasonal climate variability is a major source of production risks. The majority of crop failures in the U.S. are associated with either a lack or excess of rainfall (Ibarra and Hewitt, 1999). Climate variability is also associated with other sources of production risks such as pest and disease incidence. Weather patterns, including high temperature and humidity, and the potential for daily rainfall, can favor the outbreak of fungal diseases. They can also impact the reproductive cycle of other pests and insects that function as disease vectors (Fraisse et al., 2006). Crop yield variability differs geographically and depends on soil type and quality, climate, and management practices such as irrigation and fertilization. In the U.S., yield variability tends to be the lowest in irrigated areas and in the central Corn Belt, where soils are deep and rainfall dependable (Hardwood et al., 1999). In the Southeast, in spite of annual average precipitation around 60 inches in certain areas such as the Florida panhandle, yield variability can be substantial due to low water holding capacity soils and the potential for the lack of rainfall during critical phases of crop development.