Weather forecasting has become increasingly important in the lives of a large number of people, who use the ease of obtaining this type of information to define important day-to-day issues, especially those who live in places where the temperature can reach more adverse or extreme conditions.
The same logic is repeated and becomes even more important for the good development of Agriculture and Agribusiness.
In Agriculture, the weather forecast assumes such an important character that it becomes practically impossible to develop the work without the notion of time and temperature of a certain place. Precisely for this reason it is essential to understand how the weather forecast is made.
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Weather forecast
The main purpose of weather forecasting is, of course, to determine, as accurately as possible, the weather conditions present in a specific location.
This work is done through a careful analysis of the atmospheric conditions of each place, which, in turn, is determined from the observation of air masses, cold and warm fronts, humidity, atmospheric pressure, among other factors.
The collection of this data is done through a series of equipment, such as satellites, weather balloons, specific stations for this work, sensors, radars, buoys and a series of other items.
The weather forecast is made with the help of various meteorological equipment.
Due to the complexity involved in the process, the analysis and elaboration of the values ​​related to the climate in the coming days is usually carried out by high-capacity computers.
The weather forecast of different time periods
However, it is also necessary to understand that this type of forecast can be made to cover different time intervals.
As short term forecasts are those that refer to the weather conditions that a location will face between the next 12 hours and the next three days.
A medium term forecast refers to conditions in a range of three to eight days. Of the long term work with the local climate within eight to 15 days.
However, the reliability of the study and, therefore, its success rate is inversely proportional to the distance of the analyzed time interval. In this way, the closer the analyzed period is, the greater the chances of the forecast indicating the climatic conditions with the necessary accuracy for agricultural work.
There are also forecasts that define the time in an interval greater than 15 days, but the predictability is extremely limited.
Benefits of weather forecasting for farmers
Knowing the climatic conditions that the planting site will face is essential for two factors that can determine the success and failure of a harvest. The first is the farmer’s planning, the second is the prevention of losses.
Carelessness with these two elements can lead the large producer to lose large amounts of money, while it can mean bankruptcy for smaller producers.
Weather forecasting is important for planning because it helps the farmer to define the best moments for each stage of the work.
Icons used to indicate the weather forecast in different regions
For example, knowing that plant seeds need a lot of water to germinate and grow, the producer can choose the best time to start planting, taking into account the arrival of rains or droughts, indicated by the forecast.
And it’s not just based on rainy days that planning should take place. Weather conditions are also responsible for indicating the best times to move the ground.
Wind conditions can show the exact time to apply insecticides and crop protection products.
In addition, weather conditions can also influence when the harvest will take place.
Weather forecasting can also lead to damage prevention. This is clear, because, by knowing exactly the weather conditions for the next few days, the farmer can prepare himself to avoid crop losses.
For example, the record of heavy rains or frosts can cause a plantation to be delayed by a few days, or the harvest to go ahead. This is done to prevent the plantation from facing adverse temperatures, preventing losses.
the weather report
The meteorological bulletin is extremely important because they are the ones that condense most of the information regarding the weather forecast, and can serve as a guide for the farmer who wants to know in detail about the climate in his planting region.
Both CPTEC (Center for Weather Forecasting and Climatic Studies) and INMET (National Institute of Meteorology) make their own bulletins available.
Among the bulletins presented by the institutions, the farmer finds data such as frost monitor, soil moisture monitor, drought monitor, satellite precipitation, radar precipitation and meteogram.
All this information is delivered in a way that facilitates understanding and helps in predicting the weather, giving alerts of adverse situations and cataloging records of occurrences. This helps in decision making.
In the long term, the farmer can, by himself, compile a report on the meteorological characteristics of his plantation area at different times of the year.
These data can be cross-referenced with the weather forecast to help in the elaboration of specific strategies for the place, better meeting the demands of each producer, increasing the harvest and the profit obtained.
Technologies in damage prevention
Despite being able to adapt to the characteristics of the climate to improve the plantation indexes, the farmer cannot be at the mercy of the climatic conditions to continue with his activities.
Therefore, it is essential to invest in new technologies, which will help the crops to go through moments when the weather is not favorable for development.
In the case of Brazil, where a large part of the plantation region is subject to droughts, it is very common to comment on means for irrigating the plantation. Even so, it is common for smaller producers and people dependent on family farming to depend only on the rainfall cycle, which can be problematic and generate several losses.
In this sense, the irrigation system with self-propelled reel appears as a good solution and helps to reduce the number of people who depend on the volume of rain. This system, powered by a turbine or piston, uses hydraulic energy to move to the desired area, irrigating the plantation. This system also stands out for its ease of handling and transport.
In this way, it is clear the extreme importance that the weather forecast has for the development of agriculture and how its monitoring is essential for producers to prosper.
Time monitoring, investment to improve conditions and daily monitoring prove to be determining factors for the success of Agribusiness.
See the weather forecast in your city or region, click here.
See also: Applications facilitate the work of rural producers
