Development and issuance of value added weather-based agromet advisory services for groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) using IMD medium-range weather forecasts during Kharif season

Introduction

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.), popularly known as the "King of Oilseeds," is the third most important edible oilseed crop in India and plays a vital role in the country's food and nutritional security. In Karnataka, groundnut is cultivated on 7.19 lakh hectares, producing 4.45 lakh tonnes annually, with the major share of the area under rainfed Kharif cultivation (Annual report, 2026) [6] . Being highly sensitive to weather during critical phenological stages such as germination, flowering, pegging and pod development, groundnut productivity fluctuates considerably under the variable and erratic rainfall, temperature and humidity conditions typical of the semi-arid tropics (Mote et al., 2024) [1] . Agrometeorology provides a scientific framework for translating weather information into actionable farmlevel decisions, thereby minimizing weather-related production risks. Weather services for Indian farmers were initiated by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in 1945, and Agromet Advisory Services (AAS) were subsequently introduced in 1976 to reduce crop losses arising from adverse weather (Singh et al., 2011) [5] . The National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), established in 1988, provides medium-range weather forecasts of 3 to 10 days, primarily 3-7 days in advance, using Numerical Weather Prediction models, which form the basis for issuing location-specific agromet advisories (Rathore et al., 2001) [2] . The programme, initially confined to a few locations, has since been expanded, restructured as Integrated Agromet Advisory Services in 2007 and renamed Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva (GKMS) in 2013, and presently operates through nearly 130-137 Agromet Field Units (AMFUs) across the country (Venkatasubramanian et al., 2014; Laskar et al., 2016) [7,8] .

Agromet Advisory Bulletins integrate observed weather, mediumrange forecasts and the prevailing crop growth stage to generate stage-specific recommendations on sowing, irrigation, nutrient management, weed control, plant protection and harvesting, and are disseminated to farmers through multiple mass media and ICT channels (Mahadevaiah et al., 2012; Chattopadhyay et al., 2016) [3,9] . While several studies across India have reported the development and dissemination mechanisms of AAS for various crops and regions (Shrivastava et al., 2003; Gupta et al., 2008; Alugubelly et al., 2021) [10, 11, 12] , stage-specific, value-added advisories tailored to groundnut in the Central Dry Zone of Karnataka, integrating real-time forecasts with crop phenology, have received relatively little attention. Recognizing the need for a location-specific, crop-stage synchronized advisory framework, the present study was undertaken with the objective of developing and issuing value-added weather-based Agromet Advisories for groundnut during the Kharif season using IMD medium-range weather forecasts, so as to enable farmers to undertake timely and weather-informed crop management decisions.

Material and Methods

The field investigation was carried out during Kharif 2025 at the AICRP on Groundnut Field Unit, Zonal Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station (ZAHRS), Babbur farm, Hiriyur, situated in the Central Dry Zone (Zone-4) of Chitradurga district, Karnataka (13°57'32" N latitude, 76°36'38" E longitude, altitude 606.1 m above mean sea level), under Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (KSNUAHS), Shivamogga, with the objective of developing and issuing value-added weatherbased Agromet Advisories for the groundnut crop grown during the Kharif season. Medium-range weather forecasts (3-10 days), along with real-time weather observations comprising rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature, morning and evening relative humidity, wind speed and direction, cloud cover and bright sunshine hours, were obtained twice a week from the Agromet Field Unit (AMFU), Hiriyur, under the India Meteorological Department (IMD). These formed the basis for the development of Agromet Advisory Bulletins (AABs) for groundnut. Each Agromet Advisory Bulletin was developed by integrating three components. The first component comprised the observed weather of the preceding week, recorded at the meteorological observatory, which was used to assess prevailing field conditions. The second component consisted of the subsequent five-day IMD weather forecast, presented parameter-wise along with daily weather warnings and a summary of the expected weather situation. The third component involved the actual formulation of crop-specific advisories, developed by interpreting the observed and forecast weather in relation to the prevailing growth stage of the groundnut crop and existing field conditions. Stage-wise recommendations were accordingly framed on land preparation, sowing, seed treatment, irrigation scheduling, drainage, nutrient and gypsum application, weed management, and pest and disease control. Advisories were prepared twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday, in both English and Kannada to improve accessibility and understanding among farmers. The developed bulletins were disseminated through multiple communication channels, namely WhatsApp groups, mobile SMS, direct phone communication, IMD mobile applications, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, to ensure timely and localized delivery of weatherbased advisories to groundnut growers.

Results and discussion

Weather-based agromet advisories developed for groundnut

A total of 38 weather-based agrometeorological advisories were developed and issued for groundnut during Kharif 2025, based on medium-range weather forecasts obtained from AMFU, Hiriyur (Table 1). The advisories spanned the entire crop period, from land preparation to post-harvest management, and were distributed across crop growth stages as follows: Land preparation, sowing, germination, vegetative growth, flowering and peg formation, pod development, maturity, harvest and post-harvest management. The concentration of advisories during the pod-development stage reflects the greater vulnerability of this stage to fluctuating rainfall and the consequent need for closer weather monitoring and more frequent guidance on moisture management and disease surveillance. During the pre-sowing stage (25 th SMW), dry weather with negligible rainfall was forecast, and farmers were accordingly advised to complete land preparation and procure quality seed and inputs while postponing sowing until adequate soil moisture was received; with the onset of light to moderate rainfall during the 26 th SMW, ploughing during rain-free intervals and application of farmyard manure and tank silt were recommended. During the sowing stage (27 th SMW), although temperature and humidity were favourable, residual soil moisture was inadequate, and farmers were advised to sow only under suitable moisture conditions, adopting seed treatment with fungicide, Rhizobium and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), followed by pre-emergence application of pendimethalin. Favourable rainfall and humidity forecast for the 28th SMW created conditions suitable for germination, but the possibility of temporary water stagnation necessitated advisories on improved drainage, gap filling and application of the recommended fertilizer dose (25:50:25 kg N 2 :P 2 O 5 :K 2 O ha -1 ). During the vegetative stage (29 th -30 th SMW), moderate rainfall and high humidity favoured crop growth but also increased the risk of leaf miner, tobacco caterpillar and early leaf spot; advisories accordingly recommended improved drainage, regular pest and disease monitoring, hand weeding during the critical weed-competition period, and deferment of herbicide spraying until rain-free conditions prevailed, followed by post-emergence application of Imazethapyr once rainfall subsided. During the flowering and peg-formation stage (31 st -34 th SMW), alternating dry spells and heavy rainfall events necessitated advisories on supplemental irrigation during dry spells to support peg formation, improved field drainage through furrow opening to prevent waterlogging, regular monitoring for rust, tikka leaf spot and stem rot, and timely gypsum application once rainfall subsided, to supply calcium for peg penetration and pod development. During the pod-development stage (34 th -41 st SMW), which received the largest number of advisories (Samui et al., 2022) [4] , intermittent rainfall interspersed with dry spells required careful moisture management; farmers were advised to maintain optimum soil moisture through need-based irrigation, avoid excess irrigation during periods of adequate rainfall, undertake fungicidal sprays for rust and tikka leaf spot only during rainfree intervals, and continue field surveillance for foliar diseases and pod-feeding insects.

During the maturity stage (41 st -43 rd SMW), advisories shifted towards avoidance of irrigation and improvement of drainage under forecast moderate to heavy rainfall, with harvesting deferred until dry weather prevailed to minimize deterioration of pod quality. During the harvest stage (43 rd -44 th SMW), farmers were advised to restrict harvesting operations to rain-free periods and to thoroughly dry harvested pods to 8-10 per cent moisture content before storage, while the single post-harvest advisory (44 th SMW) recommended storage of dried produce in clean, dry structures with regular monitoring for storage pests and fungal contamination. If leaf miner or early leaf spot incidence is observed, spray Chlorantraniliprole @ 0.2 ml/l of water against leaf miner and Hexaconazole @ 1 ml/l of water against early leaf spot during rainfree intervals. If rust or Tikka leaf spot symptoms are observed, spray Chlorothalonil @ 2 g/l or Hexaconazole @ 1 ml/l of water. If leaf miner infestation is noticed, spray Chlorantraniliprole @ 0.2 ml/l of water. For aphids and thrips, spray Neem oil @ 5 ml/l or Imidacloprid @ 0.3 ml/l of water during rain-free intervals. ), were largely favourable for groundnut growth, consistent with the thermal requirements reported by Boote (1982) [13] . However, the highly uneven distribution of rainfall, with a peak of 143 mm during the 31 st SMW and several weeks receiving no rainfall, necessitated close synchronization of field advisories with the forecast rainfall pattern to avoid both moisture stress and waterlogging (Prasad et al., 2008) [14] . The persistence of high humidity, particularly during the 31 st -33 rd SMW, while beneficial for vegetative growth, also created conditions conducive to spodoptera, late leaf spot and rust incidence, underscoring the importance of humidity-and rainfall-linked disease advisories (Samui et al., 2022) [4] . Low wind speed throughout the season further contributed to relatively stable microclimatic conditions, although in combination with high humidity it favoured disease development, necessitating vigilant advisory-based surveillance (Arulkar et al., 2008) [15] . The advisory on seed treatment with Rhizobium and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria together with pre-emergence herbicide application was aimed at enhancing biological nitrogen fixation, protecting against seed-and soil-borne pathogens and ensuring weed-free early crop establishment, in line with the recommendations of Alugubelly et al. (2021) [12] and Ravindrababu et al. (2007) [16] , who reported that timely, weather-synchronized sowing and input application substantially improved crop establishment under rainfed conditions. Similarly, advisories on drainage management during the humid vegetative and flowering stages were consistent with the findings of Manjappa and Yeledalli (2013) [17] and Ramaraj et al. (2023) [18] , who emphasized that timely field-operation scheduling based on forecast rainfall considerably reduced the adverse impact of excess moisture on crop growth. The scheduling of gypsum application and plant protection sprays strictly during rain-free intervals reflects established agro-advisory practice for improving input-use efficiency, as also reported by Bal et al. (2023) [19] and Rao et al. (2015) [20] . During the pod-development to maturity phase, advisory emphasis shifted towards moisture conservation through need-based irrigation and avoidance of excess soil moisture, consistent with the recommendations of Boote (1982) [13] , and disease-preventive fungicidal scheduling, in agreement with Shivaramu et al. (2018) [21] and Manjunath et al. (2024) [22] . The recommendation to postpone harvesting until dry weather prevailed and to dry pods to 8-10 per cent moisture content before storage was consistent with post-harvest management guidelines reported by Vashisth et al. (2013) [23] and Kaur et al. (2024) [24] , aimed at minimizing moisture-related losses and fungal contamination.

Dissemination of the developed advisories through WhatsApp, SMS, direct phone contact, KVK prepared bilingually in English and Kannada, ensured wide accessibility and timely receipt by farmers, in agreement with the observations of Chattopadhyay et al. (2016) [9] and Sayyad and Jadhav (2023) [25] , who reported ICT-based multimedia dissemination, particularly WhatsApp, as the most effective mode for delivering weather-based agromet advisories to farming communities.

Conclusion

A total of 38 weather-based, stage-specific Agromet Advisory Bulletins were successfully developed and issued for groundnut during Kharif 2025 by integrating IMD medium-range weather forecasts with real-time weather observations and crop phenology. The advisories, concentrated most heavily during the moisture-sensitive poddevelopment stage, provided timely guidance on land preparation, sowing, seed treatment, drainage, nutrient and gypsum management, weed control and plant protection, and were disseminated in English and Kannada through multiple ICT and conventional channels, principally WhatsApp. The study demonstrates that systematic synchronization of medium-range weather forecasts with crop growth stages provides a practical, replicable framework for developing location-specific, value-added agromet advisories that can help farmers reduce weather-related risks and improve decision-making in groundnut cultivation under rainfed semi-arid conditions.

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26. How to cite this article: Rohini S, Naik AK, Sridhara S, Dhananjaya B, Divya M. Development and issuance of value added weather-based agromet advisory services for groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) using IMD medium-range weather forecasts during Kharif season. International Journal of Research in Agronomy. 2026;9(10):318-324. doi: https://www.doi.org/10.335