Scientist says drought-tolerant corn a “baby step” that does little for farmers

It would be better to plant conventional corn and improve agronomic practices than switch to “drought-tolerant” corn, says a veteran plant scientist. “The technology has gotten a tremendous amount of attention. We think undue attention,” said Doug Gurian-Sherman, a plant pathologist with the Union of Concerned Scientists. “It is a modest benefit and a real

2011: Record warmth in the Arctic

As we slowly make our way into 2012 I thought we should take a little bit of time to look back at how 2011 turned out globally. I’ve already mentioned that in the last half of 2011 our region of the world saw record-warm temperatures along with very dry conditions. Globally, 2011 came in tied


A more winter-like pattern

As I pointed out in last week’s forecast, it looks as if our general weather pattern has definitely undergone a switch to what looks to be a bit more active. This could mean we’ll finally get some much-needed precipitation. Eastern regions saw some of this precipitation last week when a Colorado low brought upwards of

Drought-weary Texans welcome rains, wildflowers

San Antonio resident Janet Garibay is starting the process of bringing her lawn back from the dead. “Our yard was destroyed by the drought,” said Garibay, who visited a local home-improvement store Feb. 25 to pick up shrubs, plants and grass seed. “We’re hoping that this rainier weather will help us put it together again.”


U.K. on drought watch

Large parts of Britain are facing a drought this year after groundwater reached levels not seen for more than 35 years, which could spell restrictions for farmers and households. Rivers, canals and reservoirs are running low after a second dry winter in a row, with some areas receiving less than 70 per cent of normal

Briefs March 8, 2012

La Niña lingers on sydney / reuters / La Niña, a weather phenomenon linked to heavy rains in the Asia-Pacific region and South America and drought in Africa, continues to decline, but still hasn’t lost its punch, says Australia’s weather bureau. “While La Niña is clearly on the wane, waters around Australia remain warmer than


Drought adds to Portugal’s economic woes

After Portugal’s driest February in 80 years, farmers are praying for a miracle as drought ravages pastures and sparks forest fires, exacerbating the country’s economic crisis. Worse still, official forecasters expect the freak weather pattern to prevail at least through the end of March, which would worsen a drought now classified as severe and extreme

Record-setting warm spell continues

Another month has come and gone, and as for the winter of 2011-12, it seems like it was the winter that really never was. February, to no one’s surprise, came in well above average, making it the eighth month in a row that we’ve seen above-average temperatures. Both the Brandon and Winnipeg regions had February


There’s plenty of melting ahead

If you enjoy winter weather and getting outdoors to enjoy the snow, then you’d better take advantage of the next week. The weather models have been pointing toward a significant warming to begin near the end of this forecast period and if the models are correct most areas of agricultural Manitoba will be snow free

Southwest reeve slams province’s 2011 flood response record

The provincial government’s handling of the 2011 flood has come under fire from a group representing 40 rural municipalities and towns in the southwest corner of the province. The province needs to step up its efforts in the area hard hit by severe overland flooding of the Souris and Assiniboine rivers almost one year ago,