Growing Degree Days

GDD = \sum \max\left(0,\; \frac{T_{\max}+T_{\min}}{2} - T_{base}\right)

Heat accumulation above a crop base temperature predicts phenological stages.

By Various agronomists

Agricultural Sciences

Growing Degree Days

1960s · Various agronomists

Why it matters: Enabled reliable planting and harvest forecasts across variable climates.

Discoverers: Various agronomists (1960s)

What does it mean?

Heat accumulation above a crop base temperature predicts phenological stages.

Enabled reliable planting and harvest forecasts across variable climates.

Symbol	Name	Unit	Meaning
$GDD$	Growing degree days	—	°C·day
$T_base$	Base temperature	—	°C
$T_max,T_min$	Daily temps	—	°C

Base 10°C, mean 22°C → 12 GDD per day toward tasseling threshold.

Ask questions about equations and get answers grounded in the Equation Universe catalog.

Equation Universe

GDD = \sum \max\left(0,\; \frac{T_{\max}+T_{\min}}{2} - T_{base}\right)

Real-world impact

Precision agriculture

Equations optimize food production for billions.

Photo: Unsplash — precision farming

Heat accumulation above a crop base temperature predicts phenological stages.

equation-universe.vercel.app