Michigan (MI) has a long history of diverse agricultural production. One of the most rapidly expanding and profitable agricultural crops, wine grapes (Vitis vinifera L.), has only been in cultivation across MI since the 1970s. As of 2014 more than 2100 acres of Vitis vinifera were growing statewide. With such success there is a push to rapidly develop more vinifera vineyards across the state. The industry is striving to have 10,000 acres in cultivation by 2024. This study presents a data-driven approach for guiding decision making to make this goal attainable. The study models land suitability across the state using environmental, climate, topographic and land use data to understand the most to least ideal portions of the landscape for vinifera establishment. The models are tested in 17 MI counties. The study found that land suitability for viticulture has expanded and therefore, viticulture can be extended beyond the traditional growing areas. This study suggests that warming temperatures have influenced land suitability and demonstrates the application and utility of GIS-based land suitability modeling in viticulture development. Maps produced in this study provide knowledge of the climate and environmental trends, which is critical when choosing where and what cultivar to grow. With such resources, growers can be better prepared to invest and expand this pivotal agricultural sector.

Irrigation practices for container nursery crops often result in over-application and can lead to leaching of nutrients and reduced growth. Our objectives were to: (1) compare growth and foliar nutrient content for plants under daily water use (DWU) based irrigation treatments, (2) determine DWU of 14 woody ornamental taxa, and (3) classify taxa into irrigation functional groups based on crop coefficients (K_C). Irrigation was applied daily to 8 taxa in 2009 and 2010 using a control of 19 mm and three irrigation treatments: (1) replacing 100% plant DWU (100DWU) each day, (2) alternating 100% DWU with 75% DWU in a 2-day cycle (100-75DWU), and (3) a 3-day cycle replacing 100% DWU the first day and 75% DWU on the second and third days (100-75-75DWU). In 2009, seasonal average DWU ranged between 8.8 and 17.3 mm depending on taxa and treatment. Most DWU-based treatments resulted in less water applied than the control, yet plant growth was not reduced, and for one taxon (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’) the 100DWU increased plant growth index. Lower foliar P and K concentrations were found for several taxa in control versus DWU treatments. In 2010, DWU for the season ranged between 2.1- and 22.0-mm d⁻¹ depending on taxa and treatment. Growth was lower only for 100-75-75DWU Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ compared to other treatments and there were no differences in foliar nutrient content.

Daily solar radiation is a critical input for estimating plant growth and development, yet this variable is infrequently measured compared to other climate variables. This study evaluates the sensitivity of simulated maize and soybean production from the CERES-Maize and CROPGRO-Soybean modules of the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) to daily solar radiation estimates obtained from traditional (stochastic, empirical, and mechanistic models) and non-traditional (satellite estimation, reanalysis datasets, and regional climate model simulations) approaches, using as an example radiation estimates for Hancock, Wisconsin, USA. When compared to observations, radiation estimates obtained from empirical and mechanistic models and a satellite-based dataset generally had smaller biases than other approaches. Daily solar radiation estimates from a reanalysis dataset and regional climate model simulations overestimate incoming daily solar radiation. When the radiation estimates were used as an input to CERES-Maize, no significant differences were found for maize yield obtained from the different radiation estimates compared to yield from observed radiation, even though differences were found in the daily values of leaf area index, crop evapotranspiration, and crop dry weight (biomass). In contrast, significant differences were found in simulated soybean yield from CROPGRO-Soybean for the majority of the radiation estimates.

Both land‐cover/land‐use change (LCLUC) and greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations have been shown to influence regional climate, albeit at different spatial scales. In East Africa, climate changes due to changing GHG concentrations are broadly projected to be warmer and wetter. LCLUC projections include trends towards both agricultural intensification and agricultural expansion into savannas, which may result in complex climate interactions and impacts. The primary objective of this study was to examine the regional responses to future GHG, LCLUC, and their combined effects in East Africa, and to better understand how hydrometeorological mechanisms might be altered by LCLUC in future scenarios. In this study, we present high‐resolution decadal simulations from a regional climate model that compare the relative and combined effects of projected LCLUC and GHG. This research suggests that taken separately, these two climate forcings may significantly alter regional precipitation patterns both temporally and spatially but in potentially different and independent ways. In combination, some portions of the region exhibit responses dominated by either LCLUC or GHG effects, but certain areas show complex effects resulting from the combined influence of these two forcings. Perhaps most importantly, the results suggest that projected precipitation changes around major population areas may be as strongly influenced by LCLUC as by GHG effects.