Growing degree days (GDD) provide a useful means of relating crop growth and insect development to temperature. The selection of crop varieties, strategies for pest control and scheduling of crop management practices are often based upon the average or "normal" number of GDD received at a specific location. These "normals" generally represent 30Ðyear averages which are routinely updated with each new decade. Although maps depicting the geographic distribution of GDD normals have been compiled on a statewide basis, a comprehensive regional climatology of GDD values is lacking. Such regional information is essential for determining a site's suitability for new crop varieties and comparing crop development at different locations. The series of maps presented in this publication provides an extensive regional climatology of GDD statistics.
51 pp.
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