Peer review

Frost, extreme high temperatures, dry spells, and other weather extremes influence crop development, often causing major variations in yield from one season to the next. Selected growth stages such as flowering and grain filling are particularly sensitive to temperature and/or precipitation extremes and farmers are often unable to manage this risk. Crop simulation models have matured into powerful tools for identifying strategies in fully utilizing scarce natural resources under variable climate conditions. However, the use of crop models often requires expert knowledge and an extensive number of input datasets. Combining the power of Internet, computing technology, and web-based decision-support tools is becoming increasingly popular in situations where these requirements cannot be met. The objective of this study is to develop a simple decision-support tool that combines freely available information with the functionality of complex crop models in a user friendly interface for real-time assessment of soil, plant, and weather information. The resulting tool is intended to be used ahead of the growing season by producers, and it enables the estimation and minimization of the likelihood of extreme weather events during critical stages of crop development.

Text in English