Growing degrees days way down on last year.

This is interesting if you wonder why certain crops have not done so well this year, it about the average heat required to get a crop harvested. As the Suns global minimum approaches. At present it is the same as it was eleven years back in the cycle, which is as it should be. But the States in which the required days for a complete harvest have dropped significantly with only Florida and Alaska showing warming which was the same during the last minimum. Some states are down a whopping forty percent this year which means price rises. India it seems is in trouble and has stopped exporting onions, and Australia rice production is down which all adds up to higher prices. So It might be advantageous to buy some bulk flour and sacks of spuds before the price goes up.

a reply to: anonentity

As the Suns global minimum approaches.

Not really relevant.

It's not so much temperatures that are the problem, but all that flooding which delayed planting for some.

Growing degree days (GDDs) are used to help figure plant growth during the growing season. It’s calculated using the day’s average temperature compared to 50 degrees.

www.kcrg.com... (Iowa)

Late planting means the season runs later, risking a freeze.

In the case of corn, roughly 2500 GDDs is generally the minimum target. Since planting happened so late, there has been less time to accumulate GDDs, which means a freeze is the looming threat.

In September we have received 142 growing degree units more than average. One farmer told me it was the million dollar heat wave. Remember in July or August when it is really dry, then we get a rain and farmers call it a million dollar rain? This was the million dollar heat wave. The corn that was planted by the middle of May is pretty well mature. However, the corn that was planted in June is about half milk line. That means it will likely not reach maturity, even without a killing frost. At this time of the season with the days getting so short and cool temperatures the corn plants just shut down.

kdhlradio.com... (Minnesota)

Thanks phage. Can always count on you.

a reply to: Phage

Mabey but it could also mean that the lack of sunspot activity drives the more cosmic rays which cause cloud seeding, therefore rain, lower temps. Either way the yields are down. It does appear to be cyclical. Poor corn means less feed which means higher meat prices and a cascading effect, which means less ethanol production. Food inflation will be the result.
Also farmers will plant anyway before a certain date even if they know the crop is dicey because if they don't they wont get the subsidy.

a reply to: anonentity

Mabey but it could also mean that the lack of sunspot activity drives the more cosmic rays which cause cloud seeding, therefore rain, lower temps.

There isn't a lot of support for that theory. Solar activity has been declining for 50 years or so but temperatures have been rising overall.

Poor corn means less feed which means higher meat prices and a cascading effect, which means less ethanol production.

Weird. That would seem to make the futures markets go up. Maybe you should buy now.

At the close, the Dec. corn futures finished 4¢ lower at $3.84¾. March corn futures ended 3¾¢ lower at $3.97.

www.agriculture.com...

It does appear to be cyclical.

Can you provide data which supports this statement?

a reply to: Phage

Well the vid gives the degrees by zip code all over the USA by county. It gives last years Temperatures along with this years. Which seems to suggest a significant shortfall. They are not manufactured figures, and certainly don't suggest any global warming.

a reply to: anonentity

They are not manufactured figures, and certainly don't suggest any global warming.

It's a fact that North America has not been warming as fast as the rest of the world. But both are doing so. That doesn't mean no place will ever be cold.

a reply to: Phage

Here's a bit of interesting stuff with a few graphs, which tend to suggest climate is linked to solar cycles, although the actual mechanism might be obscure but it does look highly related.