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Back to Agricultural
meteorology in the Caribbean
by Mr. Adrian Trotman, Argrometeorologist at the Caribbean
Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH). (The
article was originally published in The 25th Anniversary Publication of the CMI,
1992)
Agrometeorology seeks to apply the knowledge of weather and
climate to the services of agriculture in order to maximize food production and
agricultural production as a whole. Every facet of agricultural activity depends
on the weather. Meteorological
information can be used by the farmer to improve the efficiency of his farm
assisting him in long and short term planning in the following ways:
Agroclimatic
Zoning – Knowing the
climate of a region, crops can be selected to suit that climate.
Climate within a country itself can be varied and knowledge of the
climatic variation can indicate the best species and varieties of species to
plant in the different climatic zones. Knowing
the climate can assist in breeding programmes to provide varieties more suitable
for a country or region.
Planting
and Harvesting –
Adequate soil moisture and soil temperatures are needed for germination
and can therefore determine the planting date.
The rate of development of a plant is highly dependent on temperature;
hence harvest times can be estimated for crops providing there is adequate
knowledge of the crop’s response to temperature. Crop Models have also been produced to estimate from
meteorological and biological data the size of the harvest, providing for better
planning of harvesting activities.
Soil
Moisture Budgeting –
Knowledge of rainfall and estimation of evapotranspiration from meteorological
data, along with soil characteristics such as drainage and runoff, can assist in
estimating soil moisture conditions. Such
an estimate can indicate periods of crop water stress and aid in irrigation
scheduling and quantities.
Pests
and Diseases Forecasting
– Pests and diseases need certain atmospheric conditions for outbreak and
development. Rainfall, soil and air
temperatures, leaf wetness duration, humidity, light/photoperiod are all
important observations. The
importance of the meteorological variable depends on the pest/disease itself.
Models can be developed to use this type of meteorological information to
forecast possible outbreaks allowing farmers to spray only if necessary.
Surface winds and rainfall forecasts can also assist in determining
suitable spraying periods.
Climate
Modification – The
farmer can modify the naturally existing environment to provide more optimum
conditions for plant and animals. Windbreaks
and shelterbelts can be used to provide protection from strong winds; irrigation
water supplies in areas of inadequate rainfall; plastic houses can be used to
shut out prevailing ambient conditions allowing the farmer to create his own
environment; shelters or houses can be provided for animals; shading can be
provided for plants which need less intense radiation.
Weather Forecasts – Meteorological services can be a great
asset to the agricultural industry of the region, providing farmers with weather
forecasts (short, medium and long-range) for planning of activities.
Unfortunately the meteorological services of the region are not equipped
to provide the farming community with reliable forecasts beyond 24hrs. These daily forecasts along with those specific to
agriculture (mentioned above) can go a long way in improving the efficiency of
the region’s farmers.
The Caribbean Meteorological Institute is involved in the
training of agrometeorological personnel as well as research and investigating
on aspects related to agrometeorology. The
institute offers a course in agrometeorology which caters to senior observers of
the regional meteorological services. Agrometeorology also forms part of the course in Applied
Meteorology, a partial fulfillment of the University of the West Indies BSc
degree.
At the present time research is underway into a detailed
agroclimatic summary of Barbados which will provide agriculturalists with
information on the local climate important for agricultural purposes.
Such a summary can aid in planning of agricultural activities,
particularly in the long-term, as Barbados goes through a stage where crop
diversification is becoming increasingly important.
It is anticipated that such a study can also be done for the other member
countries of the Caribbean Meteorological Organisation.
Some investigation has begun into rainfall and sugar cane yields.
A similar investigation into cotton is expected in the near future.
We also propose to look into Crop Water Requirements of the major crops
in the Caribbean using lysimeters to relate crop water use to pan evaporative
loss. A further research effort
will be in the development of soil-moisture balance models for the countries of
the region. For this to be done, detailed studies will have to be carried
out on the soils of the regions and their moisture characteristics, rainfall and
evapotranspiration estimation using meteorological data.
The agrometeorological section of the institute will therefore be playing
a meaningful role in the agricultural sectors of the region in the years ahead.
One of the many functions of the CMI is the repair,
maintenance and calibration of meteorological equipment both for the Institute
and the Meteorological services of the region.
Laboratories have been established for this purpose for both mechanical
and electronic instruments.
The library at the CMI is a relatively small but
comprehensive specialized library of approximately 9000 holdings.
Some of these were obtained from the Library of the British Caribbean
Meteorological Services and hence date back many years.
Several bound volumes of meteorological journals have been donated by the
American Meteorological Society and the United Kingdom Royal Meteorological
Society.
New volumes are constantly being added to ensure that
students and staff are kept abreast of the latest developments.
The library is at present not computerized, but because of
the efficiencies to be gained through the use of such a system it is hoped that
an appropriate system will be put in place in the not too distant future.
Repairs and maintenance may be carried out at the Institute
or on site. During the first few
years of existence of the Institute, the technicians made annual visits to each
member country to carry out preventative maintenance and affect repairs as
necessary. However, the ever
increasing economic problems have reduced this service to one of demand only.
The technicians in the instrument section also conduct
training programmes at the Class III level.
The graduates from these programmes are able to carry out repairs that do
not require sohisticated tests equipment such as may be found at the Institute.
Two technicians have recently returned from the United
Kingdom Meteorological office where they receive training on the use of a
pressure calibration system for aneroid barometers. This system has been designed and built by the United Kingdom
office for the CMI and should be in place by the end of the year.
It is expected that beginning early in 1993 an extensive
calibration programme for the barometers used at the airports in the region will
be undertaken.
The Institute has recently been offered the private
library of the Director of the Atmospheric Sciences Division of the National
Science Foundation in the United States and this will considerably enhance the
holdings.
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