“Typically, when La Nina is retreating, there’s an overcorrection with El Nino,” he said. In the coming months, he said that the risk of prolonged excessive heat and droughts should “begin to peel back” as La Nina retreats. CLIMATE CHANGE In answering a question from the conference floor, Pritchard explained that in North America, the effect of climate change on weather has included more frequent, heavy rainfalls and muggier, damper summer days — especially in the central-east. More corn and soybeans are being grown across the Midwest because of the longer growing seasons, with earlier last frosts and later first frosts. “It’s inappropriate to take one weather event and say, ‘climate change caused that,’” he said. “What climate change does is put the ingredients for these significant ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 11 APRIL/MAY 2023 When we talk about weather risks, whether it is short-term, long-term, chronic or acute, it all comes back to the jet stream — a river of air that is flowing 35,000 feet above our heads. When recycling ag containers, every one counts Great job recycling empty pesticide and fertilizer containers (jugs, drums and totes). Every one you recycle counts toward a more sustainable environment in your agricultural community. Thank you. Ask your ag retailer for an ag collection bag, fill it with rinsed, empty jugs and return to a collection site. REMEMBER! You can also return empty seed, pesticide and inoculant bags for environmentally safe management. Details at cleanfarms.ca Find a collection location near you at cleanfarms.ca info@cleanfarms.ca @cleanfarms weather events into place, so they happen more frequently.” He cited the fact that Illinois, where he is from, experienced tornadoes on January 3, which is very unusual. He also said that the jet stream becomes more variable as climate change heats up the oceans. “It’s not a linear increase with more intense and more crazy weather,” he said, noting that some years are very active with many storms, and others are quieter. l
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