Farmers Awareness Programme
25th September 2009
“Farmers Awareness Programme” was organized by Integrated AgroMeteorological Advisory Services – Zonal Agricultural Research Station, RVSKVV,
Jhabua on 25th September, 2009. This programme was sponsored by India meteorological
Department, Ministry of Earth Science, Government of India, New Delhi. 460 farmers
and women of different villages of Jhabua district have participated in the programme.
The programme was inaugurated by chief guest Shri Jeviar Meda, MLA, Jhabua; Shri
Sunil Dubey, Deputy Director Agriculture, District - Jhabua and Dr. P. K. Pathak Ret.
Professor (Plant Protection) were the special guest.
Session I
Inauguration
Dr. I. S. Tomar, Associate Director Research, ZARS, Jhabua welcomed the
guests and the participants. He said that the farmers should be aware to unfavorable
condition of weather and as per weather condition farmers should make decision for
cultural practices. He expressed thanks to IMD to give the IAAS unit to ZARS, Jhabua.
This project is very useful to farmers as it provides advisory to minimize risks against
weather. The IMD is providing five days’ weather forecast biweekly to this centre and on
the basis of these forecasts, ZARS, Jhabua issue suitable advice to farmers to minimize
weather risk and to take advantages of favourable weather conditions. He further advised
farmers to add horticultural crops with their traditional crops.
Shri Sunil Dubey, DDA in his address said that agriculture should be linked
with other agriculture allied business / industries so that farmers can get good return of
their produce. Farmers should adopted poultry, fisheries, dairy and fruits production with
agricultural crops. He encouraged farmers to work through self help group and take
advantages of government schemes of different agricultural inputs like advance irrigation
systems, seeds of different crops etc.
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Shri Dubey told farmers to aware about weather conditions and take
appropriate farm management practices by adopting weather based Agro-Met Advisory.
Chief Guest, MLA of Jhabua Shri Jeviar Meda gave his speech in local “Bhili”
language and said that as per climate change, farmers should prepare their action plan and
act so that the risk against abnormal weather can be minimized. Farmers should be aware
of government schemes and take advantages. He impressed upon adoption of associated
occupations like fisheries and poultry to generate extra income.
Special Guest, Dr. P. K. Pathak in his address said that particularly in Jhabua
district, women do more work in the fields and they aware of weather risks. Farm women
should come forward to adopt integrated farming and integrated pest management
techniques. He told that the hot and humid climate with cloudy weather is favourable for
insects and diseases attack, therefore, farmers should aware to this type of unfavorable
weather conditions and take proper action to control. He also suggested chemical controls
of various pests and gave information of economic threshold level. He advised that
farmers should plant fruit plants in unproductive lands to mitigate unfavorable weather
conditions and to secure minimum income.
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Session II
Weather and Climate of the Farming Region,
Climate Change and Farming Risks:
In the technical session Dr. I. S. Tomar, in his lecture, provided information of
weather such as maximum and minimum temperature, maximum and minimum relative
humidity, rainfall, wind speed, wind direction, cloud cover, evaporation, sunshine hours
etc. and the time of observation. He suggested, if, there is high temperature and low
humidity condition, we should reduce the interval of irrigation in crop field and vice
versa. If there is forecast of heavy rainfall then drainage channels should be opened. For
agricultural purposes, medium range weather forecast is important which gives 3 to 7
days information of weather condition of specific area. On the basis of weather forecast,
one can plan the cultural operations in the field for coming week so that minimize the
risk. Weather forecast is prepared agro-climatic zone wise with the help of satellite
images of wind speed, wind direction, position of cloud, cloud condition, relative
humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure etc. and the recorded meteorological data of
specific area. It is prepared after analysis through weather forecast models by super
computer. Weather forecast gives the information about drought and flood alerts. He
further added that during last 15 years monsoon rains received during 10 June to 15
September, therefore, kharif crops should be selected on the basis of maturity, i.e. it
should be within 85 to 95 days. Such practice may utilize more rain water and produce
higher yields.
Dr. Mahendra Singh, Subject Matter Specialist – Agronimy, KVK, Jhabua
discussed the seasonal climatic pattern of Jhabua Hills Zone and the cropping systems of
this zone. He said that cropped area under kharif season is higher and most of the crops
are being taken in rainfed conditions. The maximum area in kharif season is covered by
soybean followed by maize, cotton, urd, moong, groundnut, paddy and vegetable.
However, in rabi season, farmers take wheat, maize and vegetables in irrigated condition
and gram in unirrigated condition. In summer season small area is cover by moong, urd
and vegetable crops. He discussed the importance of weather records and suggested to
farmers to select the crops and its varieties as per previous rainfall records. He suggested
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the suitable varieties of soybean JS 95-60 (matured 85 days after sowing) and JS 93-05
(matured 90-95 days after sowing) for this zone. Like wise, JU-3, JU-86 and T-9 of urd,
JM-3, JM-721, HUM-1 of moong varieties are good as compared to local varieties as the
maturity of these varieties are 65-75 days and gave higher yields. He further said that
JVM-421 variety of maize crop, developed by Zonal Agricultural Research Station,
Jhabua, gave higher yield and suitable for the climate of zone. For the rabi season he
suggested low water requirement and early varieties of wheat i.e. Sujata, HD 4672, HI
1500, HW 2004, HI 1531 etc. In unirrigated condition, the improved drought resistant
varieties JG 11 and Vijay of gram are good for this zone. He has alert about climate
change and said that the temperature of earth is increasing slowly i.e. 0.5 oC per 10 years.
This rise in temperature will affect the cropping season and rainfall. Due to the higher
temperature crops may mature early and hence, reduce the yield. Therefore, selection of
improved varieties for specific area looking to the weather condition is very important for
reducing the risks.
Dr. D. K. Vani, Subject Matter Specialist – Agricultural Engineering, KVK,
Jhabua, discussed the climatic condition of Jhabua and said that the rainfall received at
Jhabua district was low to the normal rainfall during last two consecutive years and it is
repeated this year. The number of rainy –days have also reduced. Therefore, it is
important that we should think seriously to rain water conservation. He gave detailed
information about different agronomical techniques of water conservation which can
reduce the risk of low rainfall and may enhance the yield of crops. Dr. Vani further told
about bund and small channels formation at the boundaries of fields for maximum
conservation of rain water and safe removal of erodable runoff. He also gave information
of farm pond to collect excess water of rains which can be use as life saving irrigation.
Shri R. K. Tripathi, Research Associate, IAAS, ZARS, Jhabua gave the
information of Integrated Agro-Met Advisory Services (IAAS) unit Jhabua. IAAS unit
Jhabua receives the five days’ weather forecast of every week on Tuesday and Friday by
India Meteorological Department. Scientists of ZARS, Jhabua prepare the Agro-Met
Advisory Bulletin on the basis of weather forecast and last week of weather condition for
farmers to take appropriate cultural practices for next 5 days to minimizing the risk and
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get advantages of favourable weather. These bulletins are made available to local news
papers, department of agriculture and other allied departments and selected progressive
farmers. He has discussed about importance of weather forecast based Agro-Met
Advisory and said that if weather forecast gives the information of rainfall in next 2 or 3
days then farmers advised to wait for 2 to 3 days and should not provide irrigation and
utilize the forecasted rains. In this way irrigation and labour cast may be saved. Like wise
during possibilities of rains spray of insecticides and weedicides may be avoided and
save losses of chemicals by rains. If there is possibility of higher temperature and low
relative humidity then increase the irrigation frequency, like wise, if forecast gives
information of frost conditions then irrigation may be provided to the crops and fuming
can to be done on the fields to combat the adverse situation. Looking to the stress
condition of crop and adverse forecast of no rains and higher temperature then life saving
irrigation should be given or spray solution of one percent urea on the crop to secure
good yield. If there is forecast of high temperature and high relative humidity with cloudy
weather then possibility of attack of insect and diseases is increased, therefore, during
such situation farmers should inspect the fields with extra care and take appropriate
safety measures.
Shri Jagdeesh Morya, Subject Matter Specialist, KVK, Jhabua gave the
information about Kisan Mobile Sandesh (KMS). This KMS gives the advice to farmers
to take appropriate farm practice in the field for coming week as per weather forecast. He
further said that mobile owned farmers may register himself to avail this service free of
cost in IAAS, ZARS, Jhabua and take advantage to this beneficial service.
Dr. Alok Jain, Programme Assistant – Veterinary Sciences, KVK, Jhabua gave
information on cattle management as per climate change. He has discussed about
seasonal diseases in cattles, their symptoms and precautionary measures to avoid harmful
situations and better management of livestock for good production. He has also given
information of season- wise management practices in dairy and poultry production.
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Session III
Farmers Participation of Weather and Climate
Information Provision and Feedback
In this session, farmers have discussed their experience to weather and climate
and shared knowledge of cultivation practices and risk management. The farmers have
told about experience of taking advantages through weather based Agro-Met Advisory
Bulletin time to time. They claimed reduce production cost and higher production in
natural conditions of weather by adopting advisory from IAAS, ZARS, Jhabua. They
suggested increased the frequency of communication of such bulletin more. Local media
may be requested for timely and good coverage of this bulletin for welfare of farmers.
The cooperative societies and agriculture input dealers may be advised timely
above improved varieties of seeds and appropriate chemicals for the region so that they
may provide these inputs to farmers in time. The IAAS and line department should meet
and prepare the root map of communication of this bulletin to root level timely so that
farmers can take appropriate action in their fields as per weather forecast and AgroMet
Advisory.
During the last session, five progressive farmers of different blocks of Jhabua
district were selected for installation of rainguage to record rainfall data and to
communicate to same to IAAS.
Participants were served with tea and biscuit in technical session and lunch
packets in the afternoon. Participants were also served with registration materiel i.e. pad,
pen and file folder. A folder was prepared for the occasion about the scheme and
distributed among all.
The vote of thanks was given by Dr. R. K. Yadav, Subject Matter Specialist –
Plant Protection, KVK, Jhabua to all of guests, farmers and women to participated this
programme and also thanks to different department officers, NGO’s, society members
and media for participation and make successful to this programme.
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