Hannah Krujia SMS – Agronomy, KVK, Phek District Weather and climate are the most invasive factors of crop environment. Knowledge of agrometeorology is useful in several aspects of practical agriculture as indicated below: 1. It has practical utility in timing of agriculture operations so as to make the best use of favorable weather conditions and make adjustments for adverse weather. 2. The dangers of crop production due to the pest and disease incidence, occurrence of prolonged drought, soil erosion, and frost and weather hazards can be minimized. 3. Weather support also provides guidelines for long range or seasonal planning of crops and cultivars most suited to possible climatic conditions. 4. Agrometeorological information can be used in land planning, risk analysis of climatic hazards, production and harvest forecasts and linking similar crop environments for crop adaptability and productivity. Weather is a phrase of climate representing atmospheric condition at a given place and at a given instant of time as against climate, representing atmospheric condition for longer period of time over a large area. Components of weather and climate or simply weather elements include: • Temperature • Solar radiation • Humidity • Cloud • Pressure • Wind • Precipitation The influence of weather and climate on crop growth and development and final yield is complicated by complexity of interactions with crops and the environment during the crop season. The influence of weather and climate on crop productivity can be briefed below: Weather parameters with favorable influence 1. Weather and climate are important factors to determine the success or failure of agriculture. 2. All the agriculture operations from sowing to harvest of crops depend on the mercy of weather. 3. Climate determines suitability of a crop to a particular region while weather plays a major role in the productivity of a crop in the region. 4. The excess or shortage of elements of weather and climate exerts a negative influence on crop growth, development and final yield. 5. The effect of weather and climate is complex as elements of climate operate simultaneously in nature. 6. Due to complexity of environment in which a crop is grown, it is difficult to assign an optimum value of climatic element for maximum crop productivity. Weather parameters with negative influence 1. Excessively and untimely rains. 2. Scanty rains with prolonged dry spells. 3. Heat and cold waves. 4. Dust-storms, thunderstorms and hailstorms. 5. High winds. 6. Floods.
