From sudden floods to weeks of scorching heat, increasingly unstable weather is a headache for U.S. farmers. Known as “weather whiplash,” these disorienting swings between too much rain and not enough — from inundations to droughts — are accelerating thanks to climate change. Soil moisture levels, often overlooked, are highly susceptible to these vacillations. But farmers, who are already suffering the consequences of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, are all too aware of the issue — because it’s right there under their boots.
As the world warms and weather patterns become less stable, soil moisture increasingly fluctuates. Farmers are finding soil moisture levels more difficult to predict. And the stakes are high, because getting it wrong can be devastating. One mistake can lead to overwatering, or not irrigating enough, or planting at the wrong time, risking significant crop losses.
But now, thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) tools developed by CALS researchers, help is on the horizon.