Statistical Ecology pp 421-439 | Cite as

Degree-Day Models

The development of plants and Poikilothermic (cold-blooded) animals is highly dependent on temperature. It has been said that “the hotter it is the faster they grow.” This is true, up to a point, where higher temperatures retard or even stop development. Temperature-driven models are available for a large number of plants such as corn, cotton, alfalfa, and several vegetables as well as many pests of these crops. These have had several practical impacts. For example, when adverse weather conditions delay planting, a farmer may reference historical data to assess the probability that a long-season variety will have ample time to mature before a killing freeze. If it is unlikely that the crop will have time to mature, he may consider planting a shorter-season variety or an alternative crop.

Minimum Temperature Development Rate Daily Maximum Maximum Daily Temperature Maximum Threshold
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
[null, {"document_url": "https://rd.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4757-2829-3_12", "unformatted_src": "https://media.springernature.com/w306/springer-static/cover/book/978-1-4757-2829-3.jpg", "src": "https://media.springernature.com/w306/springer-static/cover/book/978-1-4757-2829-3.jpg"}, null]