K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory (EASAL) produces weekly Vegetation Condition Report maps. These maps can be a valuable tool for making crop selection and marketing decisions.
Two short videos of Dr. Kevin Price explaining the development of these maps can be viewed on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRP3Y5NIggw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUdOK94efxc
The objective of these reports is to provide users with a means of assessing the relative condition of crops and grassland. The maps can be used to assess current plant growth rates, as well as comparisons to the previous year and relative to the 24-year average. The report is used by individual farmers and ranchers, the commodities market, and political leaders for assessing factors such as production potential and drought impact across their state.
NOTE TO READERS: The maps below represent a subset of the maps available from the EASAL group. If you’d like digital copies of the entire map series please contact Nan An at nanan@ksu.edu and we can place you on our email list to receive the entire dataset each week as they are produced. The maps are normally first available on Wednesday of each week, unless there is a delay in the posting of the data by EROS Data Center where we obtain the raw data used to make the maps. These maps are provided for free as a service of the Department of Agronomy and K-State Research and Extension.
The maps in this issue of the newsletter show the current state of photosynthetic activity in Kansas, the Corn Belt, and the continental U.S. Usually these maps are accompanied by comments from Mary Knapp, state climatologist, but she is currently out of the office. Her comments will resume in two weeks with eUpdate No. 469.
Figure 1. The Vegetation Condition Report for Kansas for July 8 – 21 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory.
Figure 2. Compared to the previous year at this time for Kansas, the current Vegetation Condition Report for July 8 – 21 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory.
Figure 3. Compared to the 25-year average at this time for Kansas, this year’s Vegetation Condition Report for July 8 – 21 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory.
Figure 4. The Vegetation Condition Report for the Corn Belt for July 8 – 21 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory.
Figure 5. The comparison to last year in the Corn Belt for the period July 8 – 21 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory.
Figure 6. Compared to the 25-year average at this time for the Corn Belt, this year’s Vegetation Condition Report for July 8 – 21 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory.
Figure 7. The Vegetation Condition Report for the U.S. for July 8 – 21 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory.
Figure 8. The U.S. comparison to last year at this time for the period July 8 – 21 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory.
Figure 9. The U.S. comparison to the 25-year average for the period July 8 – 21 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory.
Mary Knapp, State Climatologist
mknapp@ksu.edu
Kevin Price, Agronomy and Geography, Remote Sensing, Natural Resources, GIS
kpprice@ksu.edu
Nan An, Graduate Research Assistant, Ecology & Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory (EASAL)
nanan@ksu.edu
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