MOSCOW, Idaho – University of Idaho has developed an online tool that uses temperature data to predict information about growth and insect pests to help farmers better protect their crops.
The Growing Degree Day Calculator, developed by educator Jemila Chellappa, gives farmers science-based guidance about the best times to apply pesticides, irrigate or fertilize, according to a press release from University of Idaho.
“For generations, farmers have turned to the calendar, but the calendar can’t tell you what the weather has or hasn’t done,” Chellappa said. “We now have a user-friendly, real-time tool to help farmers, researchers and advisors across the Pacific Northwest track crop development and pest stages based on temperature, not just the calendar.”
A growing degree day, the measurement the calculator is named for, refers to how hot it has been over a twenty-four-hour period, comparing the mean temperature against a base value.
The calculator draws localized data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s AgriMet weather stations.
According to University of Idaho’s press release, Chellappa is working to incorporate Idaho’s major crops into the calculator, including potatoes, sugarbeets, alfalfa, barley and wheat.
The tool can also track whether their crops are growing on schedule.
Chellappa is currently looking for funding and partners to continue expanding the calculator’s abilities.
