http://www.agrometeorology.org Here we publish short accounts on successful operational applications and services in agrometeorology (public (e.g. NMHSs) and private), as well as on action support systems (data, research, policies, extension), that are suitable for further dissemination, or on publications that are holding such accounts. [Discuss items for this section with the President or the Vice-president.] daily 1 2008-09-16T12:37:56Z http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/new-technique-simplifies-soil-organic-carbon-measurement Researchers in Kenya have developed a simple technique for mapping soil organic carbon that uses satellite imaging and gives a resolution of 30 m. No publisher admin 2013-04-11T12:17:33Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/announcement-standardized-precipitation-index-support-blog A blog intending to support the SPI users in their applications may be visited at the address: http://spi-support.blogspot.com/ No publisher admin 2013-03-26T09:28:59Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/we-should-not-farm-anymore-like-our-grandfathers-did After his first two sentences, I knew Joel Yiri from Jirapa was the man I was looking for. I had asked Peter Kuupenne, an extension officer from Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture, to meet “a creative farmer”. And that is what I found: Joel was a man with a vision. No publisher admin 2013-03-26T09:29:25Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/apcc-guidance-questions-and-our-replies-related-to-handling-seasonal-climate-predictions-with-farmers APCC guidance questions and our replies related to handling seasonal climate predictions with farmers. No publisher admin 2012-11-20T08:08:06Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/validation-of-rainfall-forecast-given-by-aau-monsoon-research-almanac-2012 Report on: Validation of rainfall forecast given by AAU Monsoon Research Almanac-2012. No publisher admin 2012-10-10T13:47:03Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/droughts-are-pushing-trees-to-the-limit Droughts in the Southwest made more severe by warming temperatures are putting plants in stressful growing conditions, a new study has found, identifying an increasingly water-thirsty atmosphere as a key force that sucks moisture from plants, leading to potentially higher stress – especially in mid and low elevations. No publisher admin 2012-09-24T09:39:33Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/insight-precipitation-frequency-regulates-summer-soil-moisture Future precipitation patterns will typically be characterized by more intense periods of rainfall and longer dry periods. It is therefore important to understand how these patterns will affect ecosystem processes. No publisher admin 2012-06-25T09:31:22Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/how-plants-chill-out Plants elongate their stems when grown at high temperature to facilitate the cooling of their leaves, according to new research from the University of Bristol published today in Current Biology. Understanding why plants alter their architecture in response to heat is important as increasing global temperatures pose a threat to future food production. No publisher admin 2012-06-01T12:01:18Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/crop-system-intensification-as-an-adaptation-response-to-climate-change WOTR has taken the concept of SRI further and adapted it to suit a variety of crops generally grown in the locality (groundnuts, chickpeas, tomatoes, wheat, maize, etc.) in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. No publisher admin 2012-05-07T06:34:04Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/monsoon-research-almanac You may be aware that Anand Agricultural University is publishing a Monsoon Research Almanac every year since 2006 in Gujarati and English. The team of Meteorologists and Astrometeorologists have developed this unique technology of rainfall prediction by blending our great ancient science of Astrometeorology with modern Meteorology under the guidance of Prof. M.C. Varshneya, Ex-VC, AAU, Anand. No publisher admin 2012-04-12T06:59:32Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/is-biochar-the-dark-art-of-climate-mitigation Biochar – pyrolysed plant matter – is viewed by some as an ideal solution to boosting carbon sequestration in soil while simultaneously increasing fertility and raising crop yields. But there's been little study of how applying the dark-coloured material will affect surface reflectivity. Now a team from Italy has found that the albedo of durum wheat plots in Tuscany decreased by up to 80% compared to bare soil immediately after the application of biochar. No publisher admin 2012-04-05T16:41:36Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/how-much-does-a-typhoon-damage-rice Tropical cyclones such as Hurricane Katrina in the US and Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh can cause major drops in crop production and reduce agricultural revenues. Projections indicate that climate change may increase the average intensity of such storms by 2–11% by 2100 so it's important to be able to predict the likely damage to crops that will ensue. No publisher admin 2012-03-23T09:43:39Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/5201310-corn-yield-jump-using-erosion-slowing-cover-crops-shown-in-isu-study The most recent annual results from a four-year Iowa State University study on using cover crops between rows of corn reveals that higher yields – by as much as 10 percent – are possible using the soil-saving approach to farming. No publisher admin 2012-02-27T08:53:29Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/soil-conservation-flicks-the-dust-switch In the 1930s the North American "Dust Bowl" saw drought and poor land management result in extensive soil erosion and economic hardship. Since then farmers have introduced measures to cut soil loss and dust formation but it's been hard to track their success. Now researchers in Canada have found that blowing dust has occurred markedly less often since 1990, indicating that such attempts are working. No publisher admin 2012-02-09T14:49:46Z News Item http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/unusual-climate-conditions-of-2010-11-pest-disease-outbreakes The paper below is the text of the key note lecture given by the author at a “Work in Progress” Seminar at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, for the Centre for Anthropological Studies, Department of Anthropology, as a visiting professor at the Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia, on Friday 3 February 2012. No publisher admin 2012-02-27T08:58:34Z News Item