Grant funds long-range weather forecasts
Soon local farmers will be able to access long-range weather forecasts that will help them determine which crops to plant in upcoming planting seasons. The U. S. Department of Agriculture recently awarded $29 million to the Southern Climate Consortium, composed of six universities, for weather research.
The Consortium, comprising Florida State University, the University of Florida, the University of Miami, Auburn University, the University of Alabama at Huntsville and the University of Georgia, have worked on climate forecasts and crop models for nearly three years. The $2.9 million grant, co-sponsored by U. S. Rep. Allen Boyd, will fund the institutions’ continued research. "We live in a world where information is key," said Boyd, a farmer. "Technology changes every day, and we have to stay on the cutting edge of that technology."
The six universities will use the money to hire scientists, graduate students and other staff to formulate models that can predict weather up to a year in advance, based on determinants such as air patterns, temperatures and ocean tides. The Consortium’s Web site, www.agclimate.org, should be offering forecasts and risk information for certain commodities by the end of July.
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