Dr. Oscar Solano OjedaHead of Agricultural Meteorology Center

Institute of Meteorology

Oscar Solano

E-mail: oscar.solano@insmet.cu

International Workshop on the Content, Communication and Use of Wheather and Climate Products and Services for Sustainable Agriculture

Session 4 – Case studies of applications of weather and climate products for agriculture

“Examples of successful aplications of weather and climate for Agriculture in

North and Central America and the Caribbean”

Oscar Solano

In Colombia different products of the weather and the climate for the agriculture are elaborated, available in the agrometeological bulletin. Among the most important products there are next:

Colombia

• Daily forecast of the weather to execute the agricultural works• The forecast of rains for next three days• The agrometeological weekly bulletin• The agrometeological weekly with recommendations in cultivation areas• Maps of the availability water in the rhizosphere for ten days periods • Drought Index• Seasonal climatic predictions of rain and temperature for periods of one, two and

three months, for the programming of agricultural activities• Seasonal prediction (for periods of three months) of risk agrometeological for rice

and flowers cultivations• Daily bulletin of alerts (floods, fires in the vegetation, frost).

The products of the weather and the climate are mainly oriented to the agriculture sectors and the cattle raising. The most successful, of more diffusion and consults are: the daily bulletin of alert and the agrometeological weekly bulletin.

Oscar Solano

Although in Costa Rica they don't have specific forescast for the agriculture, the main products and services of the weather and the climate that they are offered to the agriculture sector are:• The weekly rains forecast used to determine the sow and crop dates in the bean

sector of the country. • The seasonal forecast of the ENSO, mainly the one that belongs with the warm

phase, which has been broadly used by different sectors (forest, agricultural andfishing), however, the sector that better dividend has had, due to its organization,is the agricultural one.

Costa Rica

The service of weekly rains forecast can be considered as successful in the agricultural sector, not necessarily because every year be obtained a good crop. The success is translated in the approach of the bean sector with the meteorological service. In fact, thanks to the rain forecast, the date of traditional sow (it dates since the 60s decade) has been questioned and at the present time they are working in the establishment of new sow dates with different technical approaches.

Oscar Solano

There are many agrometeorological products and services that have been successful in the United States. The examples of products and successful services are presented next:

United States of America

Weekly Weather & Crop Bulletin (WWCB)The WWCB is a joint publication of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and is intended to keep senior government officials, commercial entities, and the public informed of weather impacts on crops worldwide. The WWCB is publishedweekly, and typically contains numerous tables, charts, maps, and value - added text.

Water Supply ForecastsThe USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in cooperation with the National Weather Service (NWS), provides seasonal water supply forecasts for the Western United States.

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Oscar Solano

United States of America

Fire ProductsThe National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) National Interagency Coordination Center(NICC) serves as the focal point for coordinating the national mobilization of resources for wildland fire and other incidents throughout the United States. One of the primary functions of NICC is to provide products that help the wildland fire community monitor and anticipate wildland fire activity.

Drought ProductsUSDA, the National Drought Mitigation Center(NDMC), the NOAA Climate Prediction Center(CPC), and the NOAA National Climatic Data Center partner to produce the U.S. Drought Monitor weekly. This product combines input from many different drought experts, models, and indices to form a consensus opinion of the spatial extent and intensity of dryness across the United States each week. One of the key features of this product is to delineate areas of agricultural and hydrological drought, helping decision makers better understand how dryness is likely impacting crops, livestock, and waters supplies. CPC also produces the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook to help decision makers better plan for changes in the spatial extent and intensity of drought

Oscar Solano

United States of America

National Weather Services (NWS) ForecastThe NWS regularly provides forecasts of temperature and precipitation on national, regional, state, and smaller spatial scales. These forecasts are available in many different formats, including maps, charts, tables, and as value-added text. These forecasts are beneficial to the agricultural and hydrological communities, helping each better plan for changes in the weather. In general, short-term forecasts are more accurate than seasonal forecasts and climate forecasts. It is expected that longer-range forecasts will increase in value as the accuracy of these forecasts improves.

Oscar Solano

Canada, the same as the United States of America, produce a great variety of important agrometeorological products that are used by the agricultural producers and decisions makers The examples of products and successful services are presented next:

Canada

The current Conditions Maps This section provides national and regional temperature and precipitation maps, drought indice maps (Monthly Palmer, SPI, and Soil Moisture), and Drought Monitoring Maps (Forage Production and Supply, and On-Farm Surface Water Supplies).HowHistorical maps: This sectionprovides a historical archive the products from the Current Conditions section.Climate Profiles: This sectionprovides climate and agroclimaticproducts, drought summaries, various articles, and grasshopper maps and information.Drought Management Information: This section provides articles on drought related topics such as crops, livestock, pasture, pest management, and water.

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Oscar Solano

Agrometeorological bulletins • Agroclimatic summary• Seasonal forecast• Special warnings• Internet

INFORMATIVE INFORMATIVE SYSTEMSYSTEM

Web page

There is diversity of Informative products

AgrometeorologicalbulletinsApril 1909

II August 1978 III August 2000 May 2002 I April 2000

Cuba

.

Anexo III.

ISSN 1029 -2055

BOLETÍN AGROMETEOROLÓGICO NACIONAL

MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA, TECNOLOGÍA Y

MEDIO AMBIENTE

INSTITUTO DE METEOROLOGÍA

Vol. 23 No.10 1RA DÉCADA ABRIL 2000

CONTENIDO:

Condiciones MeteorológicasCondiciones AgrometeorológicasApiculturaAviculturaArrozCafé y CacaoCaña de AzúcarCítricos y FrutalesCultivos VariosGanaderíaTabacoPerspectivas MeteorológicasFases de la Luna

DISCRETO AUMENTO DE LAS LLUVIAS Y LAS TEMPERATURAS. SE PREVÉ UN INCREMENTO DE LAS PROBABILIDADES DE OCURRENCIA DE LLUVIA PARA EL FINAL DEL PERÍODO.

ACTUALIZACIÓN DEL PRONÓSTICO AGROMETEOROLÓGICO A LARGO PLAZO.

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http://www.insmet.cu

Oscar Solano

Cuban web site : http://www.insmet.cu

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bAgricultural

drought

Danger of fires in the vegetation

Third ten days (decade) ofApril 2009

DIAGNOSEDIAGNOSE

Forecast February

Forecast March

Forecast April

Real April

Real January

The head of the Fire Management Department of the Cuban Body Keepers "highlight the job developed by the Institute of Meteorology specialists in the creation of an early alert system about the probable occurrence of forest fires, that together with other survillanceleaning actions for the Ministry of Agriculture, the Protected Areas System, and other organisms, they allowed to shorten the terms of detection of the catastrophes and to face them in a quicker way” (Granma Newsletter, May 7, 2009)

Agricultural Drough Danger of Forest Fires

Oscar Solano

Variation of the tendency of affected area by the forest fires in Cuba

Period 2003-2008 Decrement annual means

of some 330 ha

Period 1981-2002 Increment annual

means of some 400 ha

System of surveillance and prediction with new index improved of danger of vegetation fires

2003 - Year ofapplication

Oscar Solano

Agrometeorologic Prediction Sistem of Pest and Diseases

Aerotransportation footpaths of spores. Huracan “Lili”2002-2003

Effectiveness of the Dangerous Index prediction from 1999-2000 to 2002-2003 campaing

Verifying of collected spores

viability

Chemical products applied-covered area in tobacco plantations relationship. 1999-2000 to 2002-2003 campaing

Oscar Solano

Ever since it was implemented, the system managed to slow down the first reports of the disease in more than 45 days with respect to the territories near the province where the plantations are exposed to similar meteorological conditions. The strategy of phytosanitary protection is conceived by the Provincial Center of Vegetal Sanity, it includes a set of phytosanitary and phytotechnics measures to still reduce the effect of the disease under the most severe conditions.

With the application of the Surveillance and Prediction System, was avoided the nonfulfillment of the sowing plan in more than 80%, with the retard of the first reports of the diseases. It decreased in more than 50% the quantity of chemical products applied to the environment, constituting an important environmental impact. With 56% of the costs regarding precedent campaigns, the losses was decreased significantly, reaching equivalent quantities to 6,2% of the total productive results, with that which the significant economic impact is evidenced.

Agrometeorologic Prediction Sistem of Pest and Diseases

Oscar Solano

Oscar Solano