New Study Improves Drought Prediction Methods

A new study by researchers at Oklahoma State University’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences may well improve the predictability of seasonal droughts and provide a better way for farmers to determine when drought conditions are likely to occur. The study, which began as a student-led class research project, was published Jan. 29 in Agronomy Journal.

Researchers Guilherme M. Torres, Romulo P. Lollato and Tyson E. Ochsner say drought can cause yearly loses of $8 million in the United States and can severely limit crop growth throughout the year in which they occur but believe a reliable calendar of seasonal drought patterns can be created that could help farmers optimize crop productions by avoiding periods of severe drought.

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