Features Agronomy Seeding/Planting
New online tool to report agroclimate impacts

July 8, 2013, Ottawa, ON - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has created a new application that Canadians can access over the Internet to report on how weather and climate conditions are affecting their farm operations.

The Agroclimate Impact Reporter (AIR) is an online tool for the collection, integration and display of agroclimate impact information across Canada. This information will enable AAFC to better understand the local and regional effects of agroclimate conditions and identify emerging risks to the broader agricultural sector.

AIR is Canada's first geospatial database of agroclimate impacts. It is managed by AAFC's National Agroclimate Information Service (NAIS). Data are provided by a network of volunteers who submit monthly reports about the agroclimate impacts in their region. These reports complement other types of weather and climate data and play a valuable role in helping AAFC evaluate climate-related risks to agriculture.

Users of the new online tool will be able to submit reports of weather impacts within their region (province, census district or municipality) by time period and by category and severity of impact. They will also be able to view counts of all weather impacts, display current or archived information as maps, search reports by user types, make data queries and overlay other existing or custom geospatial information. AIR simplifies on-the-ground data collection. Once a month, AIR volunteers complete a report of 20 to 30 questions; for example, "To what extent are you experiencing flood conditions in your area?"

To learn more or to join the volunteer network, visit AIR at www.agr.gc.ca/air.

July 8, 2013  By AAFC News Release