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 expla ined to and discussed with these farmers and then must be applied in cultivati on 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 exampl es of intercropping farming systems have been selected and climate change and cultivation aspects of these designs will be dealt with. Dryland in tercropping with heterogeneous mixtures in semi-arid Nigeria is the first example. Demonstr ation and extension of relay intercropping of late rice into lotus in Guangchang County, Jia ngxi Province, China is the second. Land scarcity forcing farmers in semi-arid Kenya to cultivate mo re sloping land is the third. The next trend to be discussed is generating and supporting a rural re sponse to climate change in agrometeorology. We use case studies from Indonesia. Collection a nd generation of on-farm knowledge will very much help. If we succeed in creating such weathe r 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 ag rometeorology. We finally have experimented there with so called “Science Field Shops”, wh ich should become a new trend. The applied agrometeorology of today is what scientifically supports those trends