August 12, 2010

Tapan Pathak has joined UNL’s School of Natural Resources as an extension educator in climate variability. Through his extension program, Pathak will apply climate variability and climate change science to communicate potential risks, adaptation, and mitigation strategies for agricultural production and natural resource management in Nebraska.

“Climate in Nebraska is highly variable, both spatially and temporally,” he said. For example, average annual precipitation for the Nebraska Panhandle is approximately 16-18 inches while for eastern Nebraska it’s 32-34 inches. Since agriculture mainly depends on climate, seasonal and annual variability play an important role in production risks.

“An even bigger concern than climate variability is climate change. The climate change projections indicate an increase in climate variability due to increased greenhouse gases. Highly variable and changing climate poses a threat, but it also provides opportunities for agriculture and natural resources.”

“I believe that providing current, science-based information about the impacts of climate variability and change will help Nebraska producers understand these critical issues. I’m looking forward to contributing climate-specific articles to CropWatch as an effective way to communicate this information.”

Pathak, who plans to be a regular contributor to CropWatch, will be visiting UNL’s research and extension centers to meet with extension professionals, crop consultants, and local producers to learn about ongoing research and extension activities, discuss ways to incorporate climate information in decision-making, and learn the climate information needs of clients. Through this collaborative, information-gathering process, he plans to develop educational programs and climate products tailored to specific needs.

Educational Background

Pathak received a Ph.D. in agricultural engineering in 2010 from the University of Florida. He was involved with the Southeast Climate Consortium (SECC), a group of universities researching and communicating climate risks in agriculture. His dissertation was based on forecasting cotton yield in the southeastern United States using climate forecasts and other information as a way to adapt to a variable climate. He used climate indices as an early indicator of crop yield and a crop simulation model for in-season updates of cotton yield forecasts.

He received his master’s degree in irrigation engineering from Utah State University in 2004. His research there focused on validating existing potato yield models and various agricultural assessments using airborne multispectral remote sensing imagery. He received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering in India where he researched micro sprinkler irrigation efficiency.

Personal

Tapan and his wife Rucha moved to Lincoln in April 2010 from Gainesville, Florida. Rucha has never experienced snow and is looking forward to experiencing a Nebraska winter.