CliGrow, an innovative app developed by the High Plains Regional Climate Center, designed to help farmers estimate crop maturity using historical climate data. By leveraging a field's specific location, CliGrow utilizes the 30-year average growing degree days, a temperature-based measure, to estimate the potential maturity range of various crops in a new growing season.
Developed as part of the center's commitment to providing value-added services to climate data, CliGrow offers online access for producers to input their field locations. Currently, the app provides estimates for ten crops, including corn, soybeans, wheat, and more, with plans to expand the crop range.
Through a user-friendly interface, CliGrow generates detailed graphs displaying the 30-year average growing degree days, as well as historical data on the first and last frost dates. Farmers can save and revisit these graphs, enabling up-to-date estimations throughout the growing season.
The High Plains Regional Climate Center, in collaboration with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's School of Natural Resources, aims to enhance climate-related services and provide valuable tools for water resource management and agriculture. Supported by funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the center is part of a nationwide effort to harness climate data for informed decision-making.
With CliGrow, farmers can harness the power of climate data to optimize crop planning, fostering resilience and efficiency in agricultural practices. By bridging the gap between climate science and agriculture, this revolutionary app empowers farmers to make informed decisions based on historical climate insights, ultimately maximizing crop yields and sustainability.
Photo Credit: istock-ekkasit919
Categories: Nebraska, Crops