Armed with this data, farmers can stop spraying earlier than if they simply followed a calendar. The rice DD50 program uses similar information. Farmers input the variety of rice and set the program according to the date of a particular development point. This program uses current weather data, along with historical data, to project the rice's growing season, and alert farmers to when they should do such things as fertilize, flood the field or watch for water weevils. Last year, about 55 percent of the Delta's 1 million acres of cotton used the DD60 system.
Farmers access current and archived data from a website.
From this site, viewers can see raw interactive daily weather data, radar and satellite information, forecasts, crop updates and other information. Bart Freeland, Geographic Information System and weather research assistant in Stoneville, said the website offering the detailed weather information gets about 10,000 hits a month during the growing season. Information from the Delta Weather Project is updated daily. Recommendations on this web site do not endorse any commercial products or trade names.