Weather and Climate Data and Information for Agriculture in Argentina

Roberto SEILER

Universidad Nacional de RUniversidad Nacional de Ríío Cuarto o Cuarto –– CCóórdoba rdoba -- ArgentinaArgentina

Fac.de Agron. y Vet .- Agrometeorología |Ruta Nac. 36 Km 601-X5804 BYA Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina

E-mail: rseiler@ayv.unrc.edu.ar@ayv.unrc.edu.ar

“International Conference on Promoting Weather and Climate Information for Agricultural and Food Security”

Antalya‐Turkey, April 7‐9, 2014

Objectives of the conference

n To identify needs and limitations of the weather and climate information

n To summarize weather and climate services (or sources of data and information for) currently available

n Current means of communication of weather and climate information and services to the farming communities

What are the needs and limitations in Argentina; what are the services available and means of communications?

n To identify needs and limitations of the weather and climate information

Survey about

n farmers motivation to use climate information

n the perception and sensibility to climate sensibility to climate change and climate variability change and climate variability in different areas and farming systems

nn participatory communication and dialog for participatory communication and dialog for successful climate services applicationsuccessful climate services application

Oncativo

Laboulaye

Río Cuarto

Marco Juárez

CCóórdoba Provincerdoba Province

ArgentinaArgentina

Study areaStudy area

Questions:• What are extreme climatic events do you identify that affect 

more your activity in area?

• Which do you think that are the causes of farmers vulnerability to adverse climatic events?

• What actions/strategies do you think are needed or to be developed to reduce vulnerability to CV and CC?

• What do you think about agrometeorological services? Are they providing valuable information for making decisions at different levels? 

Age, Education and Farm Size FeaturesFarmers’ age 30‐45 years  29%

45‐60 years                   45%> 60 years 21%

Education level Primary  51%High 26%Univer. 21%

Farm size > 2000 ha 4 %500‐2000 ha 42%250‐500 ha 33%< 250 ha 21%

Weather events and major farmer´s concern in in the area??Weather events and major farmer´s concern in in the area??

Final Report Submitted to Assessments of Impacts and Adaptations to Climate Change (AIACC), Project No. LA29. Published by The International START Secretariat. 2000 Florida Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009 – USA. 173 pp. http://www.aiaccproject.org/Final%20Reports/final_reports.html

Type of climate information

received by the farmer

16.2%

18.1%

61.9%

3.8%None

Climate+Weather For.

Weather Forecast

Climate Forecast

Age

> 6045-6030-4515-30

Per

cent

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Information

None

Weather+Climate For.

Weather Forecast

Climate Forecast

Preferences for Weather and Climate Information according to the Age of the Farmers

Farmer's perception of ENSO impactson regional climate

Farmer's perception

Never heard aboutthem

Not understand impactNiño<rain-Niña>rain

Niño>rain-Niña<rain

Perc

ent

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

1711

67

Age

> 6045-6030-4515-30

Per

cent

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Farmers'perception

Never heard

Not understand

Niño<rain-Niña>rain

Niño >rain-Niña<rain

Farmer’s perception of ENSO impacts related to age

Perception of ENSO related to farmers’ education level

How much does climate information

influence farmer's management decisions

not at allsomewhatmoderatelystrongly

Per

cent

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

09

20

58

13

Weather and climate forecast: limitations for the use

5.8%

15.4%

3.8%

8.7%

1.9%

5.8%

58.7%

Lack of interest

Not credibles

Bad distr.channels

Very general

Tables/charts unclear

Difficult to understand

None

Weather and Climate Forecast: Obstacles to their use

by qualified groups

5.9%

5.9%

17.6%

2.9%67.6%

Lack of credibility

Bad distrib. channel

Very general

Not clearNone

Decisions in response to weather/climate date and information:

• crop mix (area planted) 54%• plant density 76%• pesticide and fertilizer amount 55%• planting date 69%• other type 2%

Preferences for weather/climate data and formats:

Spring rainfall; spring rainfall+summer temperature.

Means; means+actual data; past years comparison; above normal, near normal or below normal, probabilities.

Graphs only - 37%; charts only - 8%; charts and graphs - 43%; data & comments- 11%

n To summarize weather and climate services (or sources of data and information for) currently available

National Weather Service‐Argentina

National Institute for Agricultural Technology (INTA)

• Current means of communication of weather and climate information and services to the farming communities

Dissemination of the climate information

by qualified groups

6.7%

33.3%

6.7% 10.0%

43.3%

None

Internal use

General Public

Farmers

Other inst. and prevention agencies

How qualified groups disseminate

climate information?

27.8%

5.6%

55.6%

11.1%Massive comm.media

Fax

Meetings-conferences

Bulletins-booklets

Weather during the crop season – Severe drought 2011‐2012Weather during the crop season – Severe drought 2011‐2012

10-Ju

l31

-Jul

20-A

ug10

-Sep

30-S

ep20

-Oct

10-N

ov30-N

ov20

-Dec

10-Ja

n31

-Jan

20-F

eb10

-Mar

31-M

ar20

-Apr

10-M

ay31

-May

20-Ju

n

Fechas/Décadas

-40

0

40

80Ciclo 2011-2012

Fig. 3. Sequía ciclo 2011-2012. Lluvias decádicasregistradas durante el ciclo en Río Cuarto 10

-Jul

31-Ju

l20

-Aug

10-S

ep30

-Sep

20-O

ct10

-Nov

30-N

ov20

-Dec

10-Ja

n31

-Jan

20-F

eb10

-Mar

31-M

ar20

-Apr

10-M

ay31

-May

20-Ju

n

Lluv

ias

decá

dica

s (m

m, D

esv

de la

nor

mal

)

Learning from the past weatherLearning from the past weather

What decisions to take in the Spring base on the moisture storage during the last six months?What decisions to take in the Spring base on the moisture storage during the last six months?

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020Years of the serie

-4

-2

0

2

4

What decisions to take in the Early Summer base on the moisture storage during the Winter and spring?What decisions to take in the Early Summer base on the moisture storage during the Winter and spring?

SPI6

_Sep

t

Main problems detected

• Farmer/users do not know what data/information to ask for, even the simplest

• It is not clear for them what kind of data or agrometeorologicalproducts may be useful for their decisions

• Well known products are the weather forecasts so they become the main product requested

• Agrometeorological data (when it is available) and analytical tools are passively delivery

Main problems detected (cont)

• While there are tools that have been developed and are available to end users, few have been properly designed as decision support tools with proper consideration of user needs or, user stories

• Agrometeorological services in Argentina are tied to the information of the National Weather Service, where agrometeorological divisions/departments are lack of resources

• Lack of Agrometeorologists or the professionals trained for agrometeorological services and data applications

Some recommendations:

• Building capacity is needed for agrometeorological service development and applications

• The capacity building must include human resources, sources of data, availability, research on analytical tools, communication and extension in agrometeorological services.

• More agrometeorologists and well trained are needed to intermediate between organizations/ institutions and final users(farmers, politicians, etc)

Some recommendations

• Promote and reinforce collaboration among specialized centers into the country and also with specialized centers overseas

• Studies on the users should be done about the satisfaction on the agrometeorological services and as a feed back to improve services

• Promote research on the analytical tools encompassed with training and capabilities of the farmers or associations to absorb such aprogress

• To promote the dialog among the different actors of the agrometeorological services

Thanks