Masters Thesis Abstract: Glenn Waterland
Developing a climate database to aid crop decision making.
The aim of this project is to outline spatial temperature variations in complex terrain in a small part of the Tasman district, New Zealand. The knowledge gained from this study will become part of a larger database encompassing soil and crop information that will allow horticulturists, farmers and interested public to make more informed decisions on crop implementation in the Tasman district.
Temperature is commonly quoted as one of the most important parameters controlling the success of a crop in a given environment. In particular, two parameters which are seen as especially important are the amount of warmth available over the growing season and hazardously cold temperatures at the start and end of the growing season.
Accordingly, maps will be produced illustrating growing season warmth and frost risk about the area with the aid of a GIS and a set of temperature data recorded over the past growing season.
Initial results have shown broad similarity across the study region in warmth while small pockets of elevated frost risk have been identified. In order to better understand these outcomes a series of case studies have been undertaken using wind data from a number of sites coupled with mobile temperature measurements. These results suggest that locally developed winds may have an important part to play in controlling any variation found.
In order to allow enhanced crop decision making as a result of this database, the results will be made available on the internet.