Farming is mainly dependent on seasons and weather conditions. The temperature matters a lot in that case when it comes to farming different kinds of crops, fruits, vegetables, and pulses. Now that the technology is developed and special weather forecasting mechanisms are available, the farmers can quickly get all the updates. Weather forecasting can help with a farmer’s decisions. Forecasts can help them plan for the many day-to-day decisions. These decisions include crop irrigation, time to fertilize, and what days are suitable for working in the field. The decisions that farmers make will result in a profitable crop or failure. The sample proposal provides an opportunity for participatory and interactive learning for farmers’ club members/Eco-Club Members to transform them from being passive recipients of information to utility-oriented activities and also monitor environmental trends, climate change, and interpret region-specific micro-level data base on weather casting, climate and natural resources and related fields.
Introduction
State of Odisha, India comes under typical tropical climate due to proximity to the sea. Summers are very hot while monsoons appear obliging for crop productivity. The state experiences three main seasons, namely summer season, winter season and contrasting extreme weather conditions, from heat waves to cyclones, from droughts to floods. The state has been declared disaster-affected for 95 of the last 105 years. In the last four years , calamities have calamities have claimed more than 30,000 lives. They have not only become more frequent , but have hit areas that were never considered vulnerable. As a result, Odisha’s economy has been ripped apart.
Odisha is placed at the head of the Bay of Bengal where weather is formed. A slight change in the sea’s behavior can have an immediate impact on the coast. The Bay becomes the centre of low pressures causing heavy rains and cyclones in the sub continent and especially in Odisha. These cyclones and depression involve circulation over thousands of kilometers and from links between Odisha’s atmosphere and the entire planetary circulation system. Going by the key parameters of climate like temperature and rainfall, the climate may worsen in Odisha ngesha. The full impact of climate change does not show up immediately . It triggers changes slowly but certainly.
So, the meteorology as a subject can be made instrumental in converting a farming community from a passive recipient of information to active information Technology (IT) users. There is a scope of increasing the opportunity for participatory and interactive learning for farmers more particularly belonging to coastal belts through Community Centers and Eco-Club.
Project Objectives
- To provide opportunity for participatory and interactive learning for farmers’ club members/Eco-Club Members with a view to transform them from being passive recipients of information to utility-oriented activities.
- To acquire Meteorological Data and develop acumen on information Technology (IT) to help the local society an armor the rural farming community for timely intervention of improved cultural
- To bring farmers club members and other associated rural community organizations at grass root levels into networking relationship.
- To monitor environmental trends, climate change and interpret region specific micro- level data base on meteorology, climate and natural resources and related
- The natures of scientific problems proposed to be studied under this project are extreme weather conditions like cyclone, flood, drought, heat wave, change in monsoon pattern The suggested protocols to be covered are:
- Temperature Minimum, Maximum, Maximum, Dry Bulb, Wet Bulb
- Wind Direction, Speed
- Clouds Types, Amount
- Sunshine lnsolation, Radiation
- Evaporimeter, Evaporation and Relative Humidity
- Global Positioning System (GPS): a device used to locate Longitude and Latitude of a particular
Methodology
The methodology that we want to adopt is as follow.
- Setting-up of meteorological instruments like Minimum and Maximum thermometers, wind vane & cup anemometer, rain gauge, dry & wet bulb thermometer in each school with high brand communication network.
- Students with the help of teachers record observations on the identified protocols. They gain knowledge about their day-to-day weather p a r a m e t e r s and enter data every day in the suggested
- Partner organization may provide the necessary infrastructure, logistics to procure instruments, install them, record observations and create a database of multiple utility, Data could be shared among other
- The training of master trainers will be done on subjects like Atmospheri c Sciences, Computer Education, Weather Observations, Time series of data etc. who in turn impact the knowledge to farmers’ club member, Eco-club and rural school
- Organization of lectures by eminent experts, creative workshops in schools, rural panchayats & other
- Transmission of data received from farmers clubs to nodal centre for its storage and creation of database for future research studies & weather analysis. Onward transmission to IMO for national utility and advantage to
- A well devised course curriculum is available with us which will be implemented with further interfacing with IMO & subject
- Empower the farmers’ club members/students with weather forecast potential for their locality.
Protocols of Program
The instruments required for Setting Up Meteorogical Weather Station in Selected Farmers’ Club/ Schools’ Meteorological Laboratory is as follow: –
- “Dry Bulb Thermometer, Wet Bulb Thermometer, Maximum & Minimum Thermometer ” are used to measure the temperature and relative
- “Rain Gauge and Measuring Glass” used to measure rainfall
- Wind Vane and Cup Counter Anemometer to know direction & speed of the air in month(wind) “Sunshine Recorder” lnsolation,
- Evaporimeter: Evaporation and Relative Humidity.
- Global Positioning System (GPS) a device used to locate Longitude and Latitude of a particular
Utility of Simple Weather Stations to Farming Community:
Farmers and the tools are changing with the weather agricultural response to climate change in India is already in progress. We are witnessing increased rainfall, erratic rainfall distribution, uncertainty of monsoon, shorter growing seasons, warmer winters and higher dew points in the summer etc. Farmers are now more equipped to putting up more irrigation systems, drainage and water harvesters inorder to save and use in the dry days. They use split applications of fertilizer to reduce the risk of leaching and runoff losses during downpours. Plant disease pressures have increased in many areas due to increased moisture and higher dew points, which requires different variety selection and disease management strategies.
Temperature and rainfall are just part of the picture for agriculture and the natural world. Early onset of monsoon prepones the farm operation like land opening, tilling etc. Accordingly, the farmer is cautioned to arrange the manpower , labour and other implements which are cost effective. In the coastal belts of Odisha, during 2005-07, scantly rainfall caused drought and drought during grain filling was devastating. Similarly heavy down pours during 2009 caused flooding and submergence. Disparity in rainfall across the country is more and more disturbing. Therefore , farmers must be apprised of selecting tolerant genotypes developed by respective institutes for adaptation to multi-stress situations. Planting of Rice, wheat, maize, com etc. the calendar is already out-dated and the farmers have to depend on current trend in weather and its repercussions on corp, Grain quality and yield very much depends on maximum temperature regime during post flowering grain filling period. Under high temperature the duration of grain filling period normally 30 days in wet season reduce significantly leaving behind more of chaffy grain (high sterility) , and making the endosperm brittly due to moisture deficit under temperature stress and finally affecting the marketability .
- Direct sowing/transplanting dates can be conveniently
- Insecticide ice application can be better timed to the pressures of insect and disease incidence when forecasted from dew point and moisture
- Wind Speed and its increasing trend is a warming for eventual storm, therefore due preparedness more so in coastal
- Long spell of warm days with concomitant high RH could result in rainfall cautioning the farmers for strengthening drainage system to drain off excess water or take suitable varieties in endemic areas to tolerate
- Warm winter detriments grain filling and hence crop
- High moisture & Temp. might cause disease pressure, thus signalling control measures to be ready with the
- Insurance to crop damage, operational expenses, labour
- Linking up most of the weather station data of region to verify validity of ground truth of data, Interaction amongst farmers and sharing their interpretation and develop concerted
- Mobile phone service on imminent weather aberrations and appropriate
- Some of the benchmark interpretations of weather parameters must be disseminated to Farmers through training camps and specifically empowering the progressive farmers who record the observations and make simple interpretation to their friends in Farmers Club, Eco-Club etc.
Tactical Strategic benefits: –
- Greater profit, reliable yield, lower risk of
- Easy to communicate to farmers and stakeholders.
- Performs well from agro-meteorological perspective.
- Provides required protection for all stakeholders at an affordable
- Captures local conditions and
- Simple to replicate to other locations and crops so that programs are scalable
- Local ownership,so programs are
Visions:
Need to reduce basic risks through:
- Deepening the network of weather stations to make the weather data more relevant to farmers that are scattered over a wide
- Improved forecast system to increase the correlation of the weather indices to crop requirements, yet simple enough for the easy comprehension of the majority of farmers , who are illiterate.
- Simple local network of Eco-clubs, Farmers Clubs at rural sections for better interpretation of weather data , forecasting potentiality and preparedness .
- Economy by organizing various farm operations, fertilizer applications, insecticide applications , Security to harvested crop, proper storage and weather dependent market linkages
Use of Meterological Instruments
- CUP COUNTER ANEMOMETER: Cup Counter Anemometer is manufactured for measuring wind velocity. This instrument measures total run of wind passing at the point of observation through mechanical Counter of the range 0 to 9999.9 k.m, it is used to record speed of wind flow.
- WIND VANE: A Wind Vane is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind which indicates the direction of wind at the point of
- RAIN GAGE: Non Recording Rain Gauge is manufactured from non-corrosive of collector assembled with Gun-metal Ring. Tunnel locking Rings and Base. The Rain Gauge is supplied with 4 liters/2- l i t e r plastic bottle and measuring Rain Gauges are available two different capacities 100 sq. ems collected area and 200sq ems collected area.
- STEVENSON SCREEN: These Screens are manufactured for housing thermograph, hydrograph dry and wet bulb. Thermometer and Maximum Minimum Thermometer. Basically, these are manufactured from b e s t quality Indian wood and accurately assembled with side louvers and supplied Available in two sizes: – Small Size Bf Large Size, e., sterasay Stream &f Metautyiae.
- Within the Stevenson Screen, four different types of thermometers i . e . , Maximum Thermometer, Minimum Thermometer, Dry Bulb Thermometer and Wet Bulb Thermometer, are being placed to record current weather Maximum Thermometer is used to record the Maximum Temperature of the day. Whereas, Minimum Thermometer is used to record Minimum Temperature of the day. Likely, Dry Bulb and Wet Bulb Thermometer is used to measure the Dew Point and Relative Humidity of the atmosphere.
- SUN SHINE RECORDER: The Sun-Shine Recorder is manufactured for the basic main components are bowls which are manufactured from Bronze and precisely machined and assembled. Base is of White Marble. The sphere bowl is made uniformed and well annealed and air bubble free glass having good surface The instrument is always supplied with one year recording graph, and standard stenciled curve for comparison.
- OPEN PAN EVAPORIMETER: The Pan is manufactured from pure copper, duly tinned and epoxy pointed and tested for water The stilling well and thermometer clamps are manufactured from Brass. This is supported on wooden platform and covered with reinforced chicken mesh. Measuring Jar is manufactured from transparent Acrylic also available is bran.
Work Plan & Activity Schedule:
- Engagement of Essential Staff: 01 month
- Final Selection of Location: 01 month
- Setting-Up of Met Observatory in Block/ Panchayat areas: 02
- Connection of high band communication network: 02
- Development of course curriculum for farmer’s club/general public/students: 01
- Training to Farmers Club members/Project Officer/Eco-Club Students & others : 02 months.
- Data Recording, Transmission and Analysis etc: Soon after completion of above
Project Duration
The duration of the project would be initially for Three year, which may be extended as per the willingness of Donor and partner organization.