Adoption of agromet-advisory services (AAS) under Aicrpam-Nicra at Parbhani district of Maharashtra for improving livelihood of rural farmers

Introduction

Agromet advisory services is a vital tool which provides the valuable information about all agricultural operations starting from land preparation, sowing to harvest based on weather forecasting. The main aim of Agromet-advisory services is to conserve the natural resources effectively and call for minimizing the weather hazards. The utility of weather forecast further depends upon their reliability and applicability at micro-level. The major objective of AAS is to help the farmers in capitalizing prevailing weather conditions in order to optimize the resource use and to minimize the loss due to harsh/aberrant weather conditions (Venkataraman, 2004) [10] . The main aim of Agromet-advisory services is to conserve the natural resources effectively and call for minimizing the weather hazards. It is a fact that AAS can be modified or may be the agricultural operations can be reoriented to the forth coming weeks (3-10 days forecast). Requirements for Agrometeorological Services need to be looked through making best use of weather as natural resource and avoiding its inclemency. The task of an agrometeorological is to apply every relevant meteorological skill to help the farmer make the most efficient use of this physical environment with the prime aim of improving agricultural production, both in quantity and quality. In order to play an efficient role for the improvement of the agricultural production, the agrometeorological service assesses the user's needs and strives to meet them.

Impact of Agrometeorological Advisory Bulletin (AAB)

By the study of last year AAB and annual reports of integrated Agro-Advisory Services (AAS) the following events of economic gain or loss formulated. Usefulness of AAB enumerating selected cases when advisories were helpful or otherwise. The forecast of parameter other than wind directions match satisfactorily with actual observations and thus the advisories were quite effect in crop management. Specific instances of benefit/loses due to AAS with cultural practices, sowing, spraying, pesticides, irrigation, fertilizer application and labour saving etc. modified as per advisories.

Form the above Table it is formulated that the forecasted information through the AAB is economically useful to farmer for avoiding the losses of crop yield due to abnormal weather conditions. Farmers advised for timely preparatory tillage for sowing of kharif crops. Do not sown the kharif crops. Sowing should be done after receipt of 75 to 100 mm rainfall.

Gain: Timely preparatory tillage was done by farmers for better crop production. Good germination with better growth and development of crops.

2.

Prediction of rainfall during 4-6 July, 2023. Advised sowing of kharif crop.

Gain: Sufficient rainfall received during this period as per the prediction and therefore, sufficient soil moisture for sowing of kharif crops.

Prediction of no rainfall during 2 to 18 Aug, 2023

Protective irrigation management should be done using micro irrigation. To spray the KNO3.

Gain: Rainfall was not recorded during this period and which was helped to farmers for increasing crop yield. Due to spray of KNO3 crop was sustained.

Rainfall prediction during 27 Sept, 2023

Advised to drain out stagnated water from Cotton and Arhar crop fields.

Gain: good rainfall was recorded. Useful for cotton and Pigeon pea crop.

Rainfall prediction during 27 Nov, 2023

Gain: good rainfall was recorded. Useful for rabi crop crops.

6.

Temperature prediction (light hot wave) during 13 to 22 May 2023.

Advised to protect banana and citrus orchard from the hot wave by adaptation of management practices.

Gain: The final yield of crop and quality was found economical to farmers. (Source: Annual Progress Report of IAAS unit, Parbhani (2023-24).

Farmer feedback

In all fifity progressive farmers from selected AICRPAM-NICRA villages under Parbhani district were selected. To have farmer views about the utility of these advisories issued by University Experts, a questionnaire as suggested by NCMRWF was circulated to them. In general the result or the formation of questionnaire collection as follow. From the above Table-02 formulated that 80.2% farmers got forecast from that about 60.5%. It shows that more expose of whatapp group, direct contact, universities, newspaper to the farmer than the radio, magazine and other mass media. About 75.0% of farmer aware that the forecast published in newspapers, TV, magazines is forecasted through this IAAS unit Parbhani. As per the farmers view the grades to forecast in AAB was given from that the 26.8% farmer gives satisfactory and normal grades 21.9% good, 24.5% better, 26.8 best grades given by farmers. All the 50 selected progressive farmers responded about IAAS unit and AAB positively. The rating in respect of plant protection, fertilizer application, management under adverse weather conditions and sowing time operations were estimated and found quite encouraging. Majority of the farmers rated highest utilities of advisories in relation to plant protection followed by advice made for management of crops under aberrant weather conditions. The overall utility of the advisories rated by the respondents were quite encouraging.

Economic benefit of AAB

During the month of August 2023 due to dry spell soybean and cotton crop was under water stress condition, hence the farmers are adviced to irrigate the crop as per availability of water by using micro irrigation system only and if water is not available then take a spray of potassium nitrate 2% (200 gm per 10 litter of water), so that the crop will survive. Advisory are also given to control Semilooper as well as sucking pests at growth and development stage, Girdle beetle at flowering stage in soybean crop and sucking pests (Aphids, Jassids, thrips and white fly) at growth and development stage, pink bollworm at flowering and boll formation stage in cotton crop as well as sucking pests and disease (Powdery mildew) on black gram crop during Kharif season of 2023. Due to which farmers are able to overcome dry spell by proper management and control pests and diseases at proper time resulting in reduction of losses. Hence, the Net profit of AAS farmers was found more than the Non AAS farmers. The economic benefit obtained by farmers has been evaluated for Kharif seasons for the period 2023-24. Total cost of cultivation, crop yield and net returns for Soybean crop grown by the AAS Farmers and non AAS farmers during Kharif season are presented in Table 3.The total cost of cultivation was found to be lower in the case of AAS farmers, who have effectively adopted the Agromet advisory compared to non AAS farmers. Further, the net income and B: C ratio for soybean crop were 56042 & 58278 Rs/ha and 2.43 & 2.47 Dampuri & Italapur village respectively in case of AAS farmers and 35690 Rs/ha, and 1.79 in case of non-AAS farmers for Soybean crop. Those farmers have adopted the agro advisories in their day to day operation carried out the additional benefits of 63.6% & 61.2% both village in Soybean crop. From Table 3 it is observed that the AAS farmers realized good benefit than non-AAS farmers. Even here also the yield and other returns were lower in case of non-AAS farmers compared to the AAS farmers. This may be due to the advisories issued for the AAS units contain advises for crop production strategies like ploughing, sowing, pest and disease management, harvesting, threshing and post-harvest procedures, to derive maximum benefit of the benevolent weather and to mitigate the impact of malevolent weather for enhanced productivity of all crops. Similar results were also reported by Jagadeesha et al. (2010) [7] and Ananta et al (2013) [1] . Bi-weekly forecast given to the AAS farmers helped to avoid the adverse effects of weather events like heavy rain, dry spell, high wind speed which influence the growth of the crops. Most of the AAS farmers have realized higher additional benefit of 55.5% and 50.3 in soybean and cotton + black gram crops respectively. Similar observations were also reported by Singh et al. (2004) [9] and Venkataraman (2004) [10] . According to them, the need for Agromet advisories and input requirements for Agromet advice on field operations, crop prospects and avoidance of pest and disease under adverse environment condition is essential. 50 percent farmers are aware about the Agromet advisory bulletins, which was utilized for all farm activities, who rated the usefulness of forecast between good to excellent. Similarly, Ravindrababu et al., (2007) [6] , reported that the forecasts were found to be encouraging and of benefit to the AAS farmers Implemented techniques/operation/management as per AAB  Before sowing Seed treatment with recommended fungicides.  Balanced nutrition with recommended N, P, K and Zinc.  Pigeon pea sown in intercrops in soybean and cotton crop (Recommended ratio)  He changed the varieties of crop (Medium duration) to do not impact of dry spell during mid of season.  If dry spell occurred on early stage to spray the KNO 3 on soybean crop to crops was sustained.  Every year in Parbhani district dry spell occurred in July and August month to proper irrigation management should be done at critical growth stage.  Sowing should be done after proper soil moisture (After 75 to 100 mm rainfall recived) as per the advisory provided through NICRA project avoided the resowing.  All management practices carried out as per agromet advisory during adverse condition through agro-advisory platform avoided future problems through adapting some futuristic approach.  After His intervention to Agriculture University, he has been adapted to new practices with modern plant protection methods such as the use of balanced fertilizer, weed and water management and integrated pest and disease management.  Sowing soybeans using the BBF method.  Foliar spray of 2% urea at pod formation stage.  Spray KNo3 during a dry spell.  Postponement of insecticidal/foliar spraying due to rainfall forecast.  Mulching operations are carried out on the vegetable, cucumber & watermelon crop during summer season.

Validation of block-level weather Forecasts Rainfall

The block-level medium range weather forecast issued by IMD was compared with the rainfall data from Parbhani block in Parbhani district and the results are presented in Fig. 1. It is observed that during the months of the southwest monsoon season (June, July and September), there is very close between actual and predicted data, except on few dates was observed. The July & September rainfall forecast is slightly better, although the daily rainfall is under-predicted (Fig 1)

Summary and Conclusion

The present study summarized and concluded that, Agromet Advisory Services (AAS) has effective communication media for transfer of technology for climate change as well as forecasted information through the AAB is economically useful to farmer for avoiding the losses of crop yield due to abnormal weather conditions. The studies showed that the application of Agromet Advisory Bulletin, based on current and forecasted weather, is a useful tool for enhancing the production and income. AAS farmers received weather forecast based Agromet advisories, including optimum use of inputs for different farm operations. Due to judicious and timely utilization of inputs, production cost for the AAS farmers reduced. The increased yield level and reduced cost of cultivation led to increased net returns.

References

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