Season 7 Episode 6: Farming Under a Heat Dome
CCSI-HAT Soil Health Podcast · Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative
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Show Notes
Recorded on 06/18/24 - Hans Schmitz, CCSI / Purdue On The Farm Soil Health and Climate Smart Ag Specialist, and Austin Pearson, Midwest Regional Climate Center Climatologist, talk about what causes a heat dome, the potential of a "flash drought' and steps you can take to build soil health - and therefor resiliency - for your farm.
When the podcast was recorded, Indiana was experiencing and early season heat dome. Because of tough spring planting conditions, crop staging was all over the map. Because the crops planted later had not grown to reach deeper soil layers, they were more at risk for the affects of heat and drought. In addition, stress degree days (over 88F) restricted crop growth.
Avoiding effects of rapid onset drafts include implementing soil health principles: Maximizing Soil Cover (residue), Minimizing Disturbance, Maximizing Living Roots Year-Round, Maximizing Bio-diversity. Those principles help increase soil organic matter, retain moisture, and improve soil function.