Innovating Climate Information Products (CIPs) for Agricultural Adaptation: The Role of the Department of

Agriculture

ARUNI B. ABEYSEKERA Agro-climatology & Climate Change Division,

Natural Resources Management Centre, Department of Agriculture,

Peradeniya

• Sri Lanka – Agricultural Country

• Two cultivation seasons

– Yala (March to September)

• FIM + SWM rains

• Minor rainy season

– Maha (October to February)

• SIM + NEM rains

• Major rainy season

• In a given year

– Water availability

– Agricultural production

depend on seasonal rainfall

• Global Warming results – Climate Change – Intensified hydrological cycle

» Extreme Rainfall events

» Both Floods and Droughts

» Effect on cropping seasons

• The expected amount of rain may not received for the land preparation

• Heavy rainfall events – especially, at harvesting period

• Increased occurrence of unexpected pest and disease outbreaks

Increased cost of production

Reduced yields

Increased post harvest losses

Impacts to the environment

Losses of agricultural production

– About 157,606 ha of

paddy lands – affected by floods in 2014/15 Maha

– The damaged area of OFC was 20,376 ha due to floods in December 2014/15 Maha(14 % from total cultivated extend)

(Source: Socio Economic and Planning Centre, DoA)

Losses of agricultural production

– About 47,044 ha of

paddy lands – affected due to drought in 2012 Yala (21 % yield reduction compared to the average)

– The damaged area of OFC was 4,987 ha due to drought in 2012 Yala

(Source: Socio Economic and Planning Centre. DoA)

Importance of Climate Information Products (CIPs)

• Difficult to manage climate variations / changes

• To increase the resilience of agriculture sector to CC - adaptation

• Among an exhaustive list of adaptation strategies suggested in National Climate Adaptation Plan

CIPs are identified as one of the most effective and timely needed intervention

Adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which

moderates harm of exploits beneficial opportunities

IPCC-TAR - WG II

Weather sensitive crops Crops – exhibit intolerable damages on facing even

minor weather changes • Paddy • OFC (Maize, Finger millet etc.) • Pulses (Green gram, Black gram etc.) • Vegetables (Tomato, Onion, Brinjal, Gourds etc.) • Horticultural crops (Rambutan, Duriyan)

Important weather parameters to crops

• Rainfall

• Temperature (Max & Min)

• Relative Humidity

• Pan Evaporation

• Grass minimum temperature

• Soil temperature

• Wind direction and speed

• Effective sunshine hours

Climate Change

• Sudden and prolonged changes of these weather parameters significantly affect agriculture production

– Quantitatively

– Qualitatively

• Thus, CIPs can play a major role to minimize those impacts

The Role of the Department of Agriculture in Dissemination of

CIPs

Agro-met observation network maintained by Division of Agro-climatology &

Climate Change, Natural Resources Management

Centre, Department of Agriculture, Peradeniya DoA generates daily weather data and transfer them to DoM to support in generating CIPs • 25 fully pledged and partially

completed agro-met stations • 22 Rainfall stations

Agro-met stations (DOA)

Role of DoA on compiling CIPs

Modes of dissemination - Printed

Printed form

• News papers

• Leaf-lets

• Book-lets

• Posters

• Bulletins

• Departmental circulars

Departmental circulars

Modes of dissemination - Meetings Meetings

• PTWG meetings

• Kanna meetings

• Farmer societies

• Field visits

• Social gatherings

PTWG meetings

Social gatherings

Modes of dissemination – Electronic Media

Toll free Advisory Service – Govi Sahana Sarana –

1920 Weekly Radio

programmes Weekly Television

programmes Voice cuts in radio and

TV news bulletins Internet - Web page DoA

http://www.doa.gov.lk

Latest approach • Medium and long range weather

forecasts - products of DoM transformed in to agricultural language

• Through mobile alert system to registered farmers

• Pilot Project – 2016 ( With the financial assistance from National Food Production Programme) – To farmers registered in Toll Free

data base ( more than 500)

• 2017 onwards – Expansion of farmer data base

through Agriculture Instructors of each ASC

Salient information in CIPs (Agriculture)

1. Age class Droughts or heavy rains at the time of harvesting • Disrupt the yield Short term varieties Eg. Bg 300, Bg 352, Bg 250 - Paddy varieties

2. Cropping Calendar Heavy rains at the onset of season • Seeds will wash out or deteriorate Delay or advance the cropping season

Droughts at the onset of season • Not enough moisture content for land preparation • Seeds will not germinate or will be eaten by birds Delay or advance the cropping season

Salient information in CIPs (Agriculture)

3. Crop Insufficient amount of rain water during the season Change the crop (Paddy to OFC)

4. Variety High temperature and high PET during the season • Pest and disease outbreaks

Eg. Mealybug • Affects on pollination Pest and diseases resistance varieties Heat resistance varieties

5. Crop Diversification

Unexpected Weather changes OFC in paddy lands Onion to other crops Eg. Sweet potato

Mealybug

Salient information in CIPs (Agriculture)

6. Changes to agricultural operations Heavy rains at the onset of

season

• Seeds will wash out or deteriorate

Transplanting to sowing

Strong winds at the time of

applying fertilizer

• High wasteage

Break into intervals

Use granular fertilizers

Sowing

Transplanting of crops

Salient information in CIPs (Agriculture)

6. Changes to agricultural operations Insufficient amount of rain water

during the season Surface irrigation to micro

irrigation

Severe temperature increase during cropping season

Shading

High PET during cropping season Mulching High temperature or high

moisture content at the time of storage

Upgrade the storage conditions Eg. Increase ventilation

Drip irrigation

Mulching

Challenges/Constrains

• High agro-ecological diversity – 46 regions

– Different farming systems

• DoM is having a challenge to downscale to such a small spatial resolution due to some genuine limitations

• Farmers yet rely on their traditional belief and year long experience than agro-met advisories

Agro-ecological regions of Sri Lanka

Thank You