The use of atmospheric parameters to account for warm season precipitation variability across the grain-producing region of the United States

Warm season precipitation is a necessary ingredient to promote corn growth and development. Above (below) trend corn yields occur in conjunction with above (below) normal precipitation. To isolate potential physical mechanisms responsible for the variations in precipitation across the grain-producing region of the U.S., fields of atmospheric parameters, segregated by a combination of the Positive/Negative phase of the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and Warm/Cold phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) were analyzed. The analysis shows that above (below) trend precipitation and corn yields across portions of the grain-producing region tend to occur with a coupling of the negative (positive) phase of the SOI and warm (cold) phase of the PDO. Fields of atmospheric parameters identified spatial regions of preferential precipitation across the grain producing regions of the U.S. It may be possible to use the atmospheric parameters to infer potential precipitation trends, which can be used to forecast corn yield potential across portions of the grain-producing region of the U.S.