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Ohio Mesonet could help farmers navigate weather extremes and challenging field conditions

An ag weather and climate specialist says a growing network of weather stations is helping farmers access critical data.

Aaron Wilson with Ohio State University Extension says the Ohio Mesonet provides real-time information to help producers make better management decisions.

“There are multiple levels of temperature and humidity that can give us information on how to prevent spray drift and help with drought monitoring,” he says. “We’re developing growing degree day tools and other information that can be really helpful from an agricultural production standpoint.”

He tells Brownfield the technology could help producers throughout the season.

“In this regime where we can rapidly transition if we get early-season warmth, we could get right back into drought conditions,” he says. “As saturated as we are right now, we still have to monitor the data and be prepared to transition to a possible drought.”

Wilson says the long-term goal is to establish a weather station in each of Ohio’s 88 counties.

AUDIO: Aaron Wilson, OSU Extension