Applied Agrometeorology of Today: Some Case Studies and New Trends

Abstract

One of the most important trends in agrometeorology is the development of agrometeorological services with and for farmers. The issue is that they must be explained to and discussed with these farmers and then must be applied in cultivation planning/actions and finally also evaluated with them. The second trend therefore is a “farmers first” paradigm in a participatory approach. An important class of services is the design of new cropping/farming systems that can face new requirements of the “farmers first” paradigm. Three examples of intercropping farming systems have been selected and climate change and cultivation aspects of these designs will be dealt with. Dryland intercropping with heterogeneous mixtures in semi-arid Nigeria is the first example. Demonstration and extension of relay intercropping of late rice into lotus in Guangchang County, Jiangxi Province, China is the second. Land scarcity forcing farmers in semi-arid Kenya to cultivate more sloping land is the third. The next trend to be discussed is generating and supporting a rural response to climate change in agrometeorology. We use case studies from Indonesia. Collection and generation of on-farm knowledge will very much help. If we succeed in creating such weather services, consequences of climate change can be faced with much more confidence. In Indonesia experiments have taken place with local Climate Field Schools (CFSs) as a new trend in agrometeorology. We finally have experimented there with so called “Science Field Shops”, which should become a new trend. The applied agrometeorology of today is what scientifically supports those trends.