Cary, North Carolina – July 10, 2007 – Cotton farmers have a new Internet-based tool to track heat units being accumulated by their cotton. The
new website, www.CottonHeatUnits.com, provides a daily update of heat units
experienced this growing season and compares these values with long-term climate norms. The web service also forecasts heat units for the next
seven days, based on overnight updates to weather forecasts.
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By selecting the date of planting and the nearest weather station, the web service calculates heat units for each day since planting and also calculates a running total of heat units accumulated for the season.
The heat units calculations are based on Degree Days 60 (DD60).
It also compares the heat units for this season with long-term averages, enabling an evaluation of this season with climatic norms.
Long-term climate data is utilized from 65 locations across the cottonbelt, with each location having daily temperature records
for at least 30 years.
"Cotton farmers, and their advisors, often use weekly reports by state university extension services as an information resource for
tracking heat units," says Robert Ratliff, creator of the web service. "By utilizing an online web service that updates temperature
and heat units overnight, farmers and their advisors now have a resource to check daily, rather than weekly. The addition of a seven-day
forecast extends the information resource beyond just a review of the past, by adding a prediction of the future."
"Most farm chemicals used in cotton growth management have a range of application rates based on the growth stage of the crop,
temperature experiences and forecasts, and other local growing conditions," explains Ratliff. "By reviewing past growing conditions and the forecast
for the next seven days, the application rates and timing can be made based on a greater understanding of the current
growing environment, resulting in greater performance from chemicals used as growth regulators, boll openers and leaf defoliants."
The website also displays animated radar, satellite images, seven day narrative and graphic forecasts, rainfall histories and forecasts, plus charts of forecasted
temperatures, relative humidity, wind speed and other weather forecast data.
The heat units calculator is also available from cell phones with Internet access by keying the web address
216.150.3.82
on the cell phone keypad. Due to the small display size of a cell phone, temperatures and heat units are limited to the past seven days and the
next seven days.
It is suggested the computer version be utilized first for a comprehensive understanding of heat units being accumulated. Thereafter,
the cell phone version can be utilized when access to a computer is not convenient, such as decision making in the field.
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| (Screen Shot of the Heat Units Calculator) |
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