Recent biometeorological applications to crops

Abstract

The paper demonstrates how standard climatological data can effectively be exploited by making use of biometeorological knowledge and modern data processing facilities in studies concerned with the evaluation of crop-weather relationships and the analysis of climatic resources. In analyzing potential biological yield of wheat at Normandin (Quebec), it was found that the potential yield was reduced by approximately 45% because of variations in temperature and radiation whereas the actual yield was reduced by 70%. In mesoscale analyses, the error between soil moisture observations and estimates from a climatological soil moisture budget was in the same order as the standard deviation of 3-times replicated 38 soil moisture samples taken over five years at Swift Current (Sask.). An analysis of crop-weather relationships at Lacombe (Alta.) indicated that the 1957 wheat yield was reduced from the potential 3,300 kg/ha to 2,004 kg/ha or by 40% because of a severe cold spell during the soft dough developing stage resulting in improper filling of the kernels. In macroscale analyses, relative winter hardiness indices for woody ornamental plants together with site suitability indices for winter survival were used in the development of a map of plant hardiness zones in Canada. In the application of this research to forage crops average winter survival percentage of legumes and grasses by classes of hardiness together with selected regional climatic averages were developed for six regions of southern Canada. Long-term research into the relationships between Canadian Prairie crop yields and development (wheat, oats and barley) and selected climatic and soil variables has been used successfully for estimating regional crop production, for determining climatic limitations of the area suitable for the cultivation of these crops, and for assessing the impact of postulated climatic changes on crop production.