Agroclimatic Zoning Research Articles

Zoneamento agroclimático de amendoinzeiro para a Bacia do Alto Paraguai (MT)

RESUMO O sucesso de uma agricultura tecnificada, produtiva e sustentável é obtido por meio do conhecimento do clima e solo da localidade, combinado com o seu adequado manejo. Este estudo objetivou determinar o zoneamento agroclimático da cultura do amendoim para a região da Bacia do Alto Paraguai, no Estado de Mato Grosso, identificando os municípios que apresentam aptidão para a exploração dessa cultura e estabelecendo as épocas para a sua semeadura. Foram analisadas as condições edafoclimáticas da região, respeitando-se o ciclo (90-120 dias) e as exigências hídricas (400-600 mm) da cultura. Para os tipos de solos classificados de acordo com o teor de argila, foram determinados a capacidade de armazenamento de água (CAD) e o índice de satisfação e necessidade de água (ISNA). Concluiuse que todos os municípios que cultivam amendoim apresentam mais que 50 % de solo tipo CAD 75, com mais de 35 % de argila (Arenápolis, Barra do Bugres, Indiavaí, Lambarí D’Oeste, Nova Olímpia, Rondonópolis, São José dos Quatro Marcos e Tangará da Serra). Esse tipo de solo favorece o cultivo tardio, que pode ser realizado até o 7º decêndio. Já para os solos tipo CAD 30, com menos de 15 % de argila, o cultivo só deve se iniciar a partir do 6º decêndio, por apresentarem baixa capacidade de absorção de água.

Agroclimatic zoning of the state of Minas Gerais for the production of high quality soybean seeds

In Brasil, Minas Gerais is the sixth state in soybean production. Adverse climatic conditions such as short mini-droughts ("veranicos"), irregular rainfall distribution and especially high temperatures can compromise the proper development of the crop in that state, especially in relation to the production of high quality seeds. The aim of this study was to collect and analyze data in order to establish an agro-climatic zoning of the state of Minas Gerais for the production of high quality soybean seeds. These values were georeferenced in terms of the latitude and longitude coordinates and, with the use of a geographic information system, a thematic map was created, in which the best growing regions in Minas Gerais are represented. The definition of higher or lower climate risk areas was associated with the occurrence of average temperatures during the seed maturation phase, the most sensitive stage of growth. On the basis of the data obtained on temperature and altitude of different locations, and considering the normal growth period, it was possible to outline a map with three distinct areas: Favorable - average temperature < 23,5 ºC; moderately favorable - average temperature between 23,6 ºC and 24,9 ºC; Unfavorable - average temperature > 25,0 ºC.

New agroclimatic approach for soybean sowing dates recommendation: A case study

The objective of this study was to introduce a new approach to recommend sowing dates for soybean crop in Brazil, considering the climatic conditions and crop yield. The first step was to define the periods when air temperature is smaller than 40 °C and greater than 1 °C in at least 80% of the years, and with at least 60% of relative crop evapotranspiration during the establishment phase in more than 50% of the years. The actual yield of crop was estimated by FAO Agroecological zone model for the suitable sowing dates. Based on that, when actual yield overcome the production cost in more than 80% of years and mean air temperature along the cycle is between 20 and 30 °C, the sowing date is classified as suitable, but if actual yield overcome the production cost only between 60 and 80% of the years or mean air temperature is not between 20 and 30 °C, the date is classified as marginal. Sowing dates are considered as unsuitable if actual crop yield overcome the production cost in less than 60% of the years. The new approach was applied, as case studies, for Cruz Alta, RS, Jataí, GO, and Balsas, MA, in order to compare it with the agroclimatic zoning approach presently used in Brazil. The new procedures can generate more accurate information to support sowing dates recommendation for soybean, minimizing yield losses from climatic risk.

Agro-climatic zoning of Jatropha curcas as a subside for crop planning and implementation in Brazil

As jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) is a recent crop in Brazil, the studies for defining its suitability for different regions are not yet available, even considering the promises about this plant as of high potential for marginal zones where poor soils and dry climate occur. Based on that, the present study had as objective to characterize the climatic conditions of jatropha's center of origin in Central America for establishing its climatic requirements and to develop the agro-climatic zoning for this crop for some Brazilian regions where, according to the literature, it would be suitable. For classifying the climatic conditions of the jatropha's center of origin, climate data from 123 weather stations located in Mexico (93) and in Guatemala (30) were used. These data were input for Thornthwaite and Mather's climatological water balance for determining the annual water deficiency (WD) and water surplus (WS) of each location, considering a soil water-holding capacity (SWHC) of 100 mm. Mean annual temperature (T m), WD, and WS data were organized in histograms for defining the limits of suitability for jatropha cultivation. The results showed that the suitable range of T m for jatropha cultivation is between 23 and 27 °C. T m between 15 and 22.9 °C and between 27.1 and 28 °C were classified as marginal by thermal deficiency and excess, respectively. T m below 15 °C and above 28 °C were considered as unsuitable for jatropha cultivation, respectively, by risk of frosts and physiological disturbs. For WD, suitability for rain-fed jatropha cultivation was considered when its value is below 360 mm, while between 361 and 720 mm is considered as marginal and over 720 mm unsuitable. The same order of suitability was also defined for WS, with the following limits: suitable for WS up to 1,200 mm; marginal for WS between 1,201 and 2,400 mm, and unsuitable for WS above 2,400 mm. For the crop zoning, the criteria previously defined were applied to 1,814 climate stations in the following Brazilian regions: Northeast (NE) region and the states of Goiás (GO), Tocantins (TO), and Minas Gerais (MG). The suitability maps were generated by crossing the crop climate requirements with the interpolated climate conditions of the selected regions. The maps showed that only 22.65% of the areas in the NE region are suitable for jatropha as a rain-fed crop. The other areas of the region are classified as marginal (62.61%) and unsuitable (14.74%). In the states of GO and TO, the majority of the areas (47.78%) is classified as suitable, and in the state of MG, 33.92% of the territory has suitability for the crop. These results prove that jatropha cannot be cultivated everywhere and will require, as any other crop, minimum climatic conditions to have sustainable performance and high yields.

Developing an agro-climatic zoning model to determine potential growing areas for Camelina sativa in Argentina

The purpose of this paper was the development of an agro-climatic zoning model to determine potential growing areas for Camelina sativa in Argentina. Camelina (Camelina sativa L.) is a promising and sustainable alternative energy crop that belongs to the Brassicaceae (mustard) family. Camelina sativa oil contains around 40% fatty acids, of which only a small percentage are saturated. Camelina sativa derived biokerosene used in aviation has shown 84% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions during its life cycle, compared to petroleum kerosene. It has the potential of becoming the renewable fuel of choice for air navigation in the future. Agro-climatology is a valuable tool in the identification of agro-climates with favorable conditions for the introduction of new crops. Agro-climatic zoning permits identifying areas with different potential yields, as per their environmental conditions. It was necessary to evaluate the requirements, limits and bio-meteorological tolerance and conditions for these species, taking into account the climatological characteristics of native areas and regions for their successful cultivation around the world. In order to define this crop's agroclimatic aptitude in Argentina, climatic data was analyzed from meteorological stations, corresponding to the period 1981-2010. Finally, Camelina's potential growing areas were obtained with 5 differentiated suitability classes. Based on international bibliography, the authors outlined an agro-climatic zoning model to determine potential growing areas in Argentina for Camelina sativa. This model may be applied to any part of the world, using the agroclimatic limits presented in this paper. This is an innovative work, made by the implementation of a Geographic Information System that can be updated by the further incorporation of complementary information, with the consequent improvement of the original database.

Identification of Argentinian saline drylands suitable for growing Salicornia bigelovii for bioenergy

Salicornia bigelovii is an oilseed halophyte species that can be grown using saltwater in saline and coastal areas where conventional crops cannot be grown. Due to its high oil content, comparable with commercial crops, is a promising feedstock for biodiesel production. To determine the agroclimatic zoning of S. bigelovii in Argentina, thermal and rainfall indexes from its center of origin were taken into account and plotted for the period 1981–2010. The overlapping of the temperature and rainfall maps defined the agroclimatic zoning which determined optimal, very suitable, suitable, marginal and non-suitable areas for cultivation of S. bigelovii in Argentina. Subsequently, the Dryland Salinity classification of FAO was used to identify putative sites of implantation of S. bigelovii in moderately and strongly saline phases where soil electrical conductivity ranges from 12.4 to 22.1 mmhos/cm. Finally, the overlapping of both the agroclimatic suitability and Dryland Salinity maps afforded the agro-ecological suitability map, which showed the same five fitness classes defined in the agroclimatic zoning.

Zoneamento agroclimático e ambiental da cultura do caju para o estado de Pernambuco

Agroclimatic zoning is a powerful tool used in agricultural and environment planning of a particular region. However, in most cases Permanent Preservation Areas are disregarded in these studies. The objective of the present study was to perform agroclimatic and environmental zoning for the cashew species (Anacardium occidentale L.) in Pernambuco state, taking into account the Permanent Preservation Areas. The work was divided in two stages: (i) preparation for agroclimatic zoning of the cashew plant, and (ii) preparation for environmental zoning, based on the Permanent Preservation Areas, according to Law 4771 of the Brazilian forest code. Agroclimatic zoning was carried out based on the topographic and climatic requirements of the species. Normal data was used (> 20 years) of precipitation, air temperature and soil water deficit. In environmental zoning, four classes of permanent preservation were considered: (1) around springs, (2) streams, (3) hills with slope greater than 45°, and (4) hilltops. In delimiting the classes of permanent preservation, information on elevation was used as extracted from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and the hydrographic network of the state of Pernambuco. Only 3.28% of the area of the state is agro-climatically suitable for the cashew cultivation. When considering environmental zoning, there was a 5% reduction in the arable area great, regular and restricted for crowing the cashew crop. In studies of agroclimatic zoning and suitability, Permanent Preservation Areas as defined in the Brazilian forest code should be considered.

Metodologias de controle de qualidade de análises granulométricas do solo

A qualidade da análise granulométrica é imprescindível para a adequada classificação textural dos solos e enquadramento no Zoneamento Agroclimático. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar metodologias de controle de qualidade das análises granulométricas. Foram coletadas amostras de solos com diferentes texturas, as quais foram analisadas por cinco laboratórios. O controle da qualidade foi realizado utilizando duas metodologias, uma proposta pelo Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC) e a outra pela Rede Oficial de Laboratórios de Análise de Solo e de Tecido Vegetal dos Estados do RS e SC (ROLAS). Verificou-se maior número de inconformidades para as frações argila e silte, independentemente do método, sendo que o método da ROLAS apresentou maior número de inconformidades (76% das amostras), principalmente para amostras com teores mais elevados dessas frações. A metodologia da ROLAS com utilização da mediana é mais rigorosa no controle da qualidade das análises.

Zoneamento agroclimático: linhas de pesquisa e caracterização teórica-conceitual

Ao escolher, ou identificar-se, com determinada ciência, o pesquisador depara-se com infinidade de linhas de pesquisa, cada qual com suas metodologias, técnicas e referenciais teóricos recíprocos que lhe dão o aporte teórico-conceitual necessário ao desenvolvimento pleno da pesquisa, e consequentemente, da ciência para qual se dedica. Nesse sentido, procurou-se realizar um resgate teórico-metodológico acerca dos conceitos, linhas e pesquisas e aplicabilidades que envolvem as técnicas de zoneamento agroclimático. Inicialmente, dentro da Bioclimatologia Vegetal depara-se com diversas nomenclaturas de linhas de pesquisa, tais como Meteorologia Agrícola, Climatologia Agrícola, Agrometeorologia e Agroclimatologia. Independentemente do objeto de estudo abordado pelas linhas de pesquisa da Bioclimatologia Vegetal, há uma metodologia que é de grande uso pelos pesquisadores: o Zoneamento Agroclimático, que pode ser classificado como a delimitação da aptidão das regiões de cultivo quanto ao fator clima em escalas macroclimáticas e regionais. O Zoneamento Agrícola leva em consideração, além dos atributos climáticos, a associação de fatores como o solo (zoneamento edáfico), e o meio socioeconômico, com intuito de organizar a distribuição racional das culturas economicamente rentáveis, respeitando as características sociais e culturais de cada região, servindo, portanto, de base para o planejamento territorial do uso do solo. O Zoneamento Edafoclimático, é considerado um estudo de complementação da potencialidade natural de determinada região para dada cultura, no qual, além do clima, inserem-se no estudo os aspectos edáficos, ou pedológicos, e considerados, em geral, na mesma escala de análise do zoneamento agroclimático. Por fim, o zoneamento agrícola de risco climático, além das variáveis analisadas (clima, solo e planta), aplica-se funções matemáticas e estatísticas (frequencistas e probabilísticas) com o objetivo de quantificar o risco de perda das lavouras com base no histórico de ocorrência de eventos climáticos adversos, principalmente a seca e eventos de ocorrência de geadas em especial em latitudes médias.

Zoneamento agroclimático para a cultura do pinhão-manso no estado de Pernambuco

Propõe-se, com o presente trabalho, realizar o zoneamento agroclimático da cultura do pinhão-manso (Jathopra curcas L.) no estado de Pernambuco, motivo pelo qual foram utilizados dados climáticos de temperatura do ar média e precipitação pluviométrica de 146 postos meteorológicos, dos quais 73 com série histórica de dados acima de 30 anos e outros 73 com série abaixo de 30 anos porém maior que 20 anos de observações. A escolha do pinhão-manso foi motivada pelo potencial desta cultura como fonte de energia renovável em substituição aos combustíveis fósseis, tanto quanto pela sua rusticidade, tornando-se uma nova opção para regiões de clima semiárido, como ocorre em grande parte da região Nordeste. A seleção da região de estudo está relacionada à variabilidade climática apresentada por esse estado e ao potencial que a referida cultura tem em se desenvolver em regiões nas quais a chuva é escassa. De acordo com o estudo, o Estado de Pernambuco apresenta 14,92% de áreas aptas ao cultivo do pinhão-manso, 44,26% de áreas restritas por deficiência hídrica e 40,82% de áreas inaptas.

Zoneamento agroclimático de café robusta no Estado do Paraná e impactos das mudanças climáticas

The aim of the study was the agroclimatic zoning of robusta coffee ( Coffea canephora Pierre ex Froehner) in the state of Parana, and to verify changes caused by temperature rise related to global warming, as predictions for the next 100 years reported by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). An alternative to keep coffee production in the state of Parana will be the introduction of robusta coffee, original from Africa, adapted to areas with annual mean temperatures between 22 and 26oC. We used the historical weather database from IAPAR (Agronomic Institute of Parana) and considered as apt for cropping the areas within the following conditions: risk of annual frost lower than 25% of probability, annual mean temperature between 22 and 26 °C, and annual water deficiency below 150 mm. The spatial analyzes were based on the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and crossed into the environment of a Geographic Information System (GIS), generating maps of the agroclimatic zoning of Coffea canephora for the current climate and scenarios of climate change with the addition of 1.8 and 4 °C in the mean temperature. The zoning for the current weather indicated that parts of northwestern and western regions of Parana are suitable for cultivation. Under climate change scenarios, considering the rainfall regime unchanged, the area suitable for cultivation expands, justifying studies on this species in the state of Parana.

식물계절모형 입력자료로서 확률추정 기상자료의 이용 가능성

월별 기후통계량의 조화해석에 의해 생성한 일 기온 자료가 생물계절모형의 입력자료로서 적합한지 여부를 평가하여 농림업 부문 기후시나리오 응용정보 제작 상오류를 제거하기 위해 본 연구를 수행하였다. 서울관측소의 1971-2000 평년 월별 일 최고기온과 최저기온 평균값으로부터 조화해석에 의해 365일 간 기온자료를 생성하였다. 이것을 널리 검증된 온도시간 기반의 벚꽃 개화모형에 입력하여 휴면, 발아, 개화 등 주요 식물계절을 추정하였다. 같은 기간 중 실측기온자료에 의해 모형을 구동시켜 얻은 결과와 비교한 바, 연차변이를 전혀 반영하지 못하는 것은 물론, 휴면해제 25일 단축, 강제 휴면기간 57일 연장, 발아 14일 지연, 개화 13일 지연등 평균값도 크게 달라 식물계절을 크게 왜곡시키는 것으로 판단되었다. 대안으로서 확률추정기법에 의해 일기상자료를 생성하고 이를 이용하여 모형을 구동한 결과 실측결과에 비해 휴면해제 6일 단축, 강제휴면기간 10일 단축, 발아 3일 지연, 개화 2일 지연 등으로 조화해석자료 사용에 비해 크게 개선되었음을 확인하였다. 연차변이양상 역시 실측기온에 의한 모의결과와 크게 다르지 않아, 향후 이 자료를 농업부문 전자기후도 제작에 적용하면 기후변화 적응정책 수립을 실용수준에서 지원할 수 있을 것으로 보인다. Daily temperature data produced by harmonic analysis of monthly climate summary have been used as an input to plant phenology model. This study was carried out to evaluate the performance of the harmonic based daily temperature data in prediction of major phenological developments and to apply the results in improving decision support for agricultural production in relation to the climate change scenarios. Daily maximum and minimum temperature data for a climatological normal year (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 1971-2000) were produced by harmonic analysis of the monthly climate means for Seoul weather station. The data were used as inputs to a thermal time - based phenology model to predict dormancy, budburst, and flowering of Japanese cherry in Seoul. Daily temperature measurements at Seoul station from 1971 to 2000 were used to run the same model and the results were compared with the harmonic data case. Leaving no information on annual variation aside, the harmonic based simulation showed 25 days earlier release from endodormancy, 57 days longer period for maximum cold tolerance, delayed budburst and flowering by 14 and 13 days, respectively, compared with the simulation based on the observed data. As an alternative to the harmonic data, 30 years daily temperature data were generated by a stochastic process (SIMMETEO + WGEN) using climatic summary of Seoul station for 1971-2000. When these data were used to simulate major phenology of Japanese cherry for 30 years, deviations from the results using observed data were much less than the harmonic data case: 6 days earlier dormancy release, 10 days reduction in maximum cold tolerance period, only 3 and 2 days delay in budburst and flowering, respectively. Inter-annual variation in phenological developments was also in accordance with the observed data. If stochastically generated temperature data could be used in agroclimatic mapping and zoning, more reliable and practical aids will be available to climate change adaptation policy or decision makers.

DELIMITAÇÃO DE MICRORREGIÕES AGROCLIMÁTICAS E SUAS RELAÇÕES COM O POTENCIAL PRODUTIVO DA CULTURA DO EUCALIPTO

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi delimitar zonas agroclimáticas homogêneas propícias ao cultivo da cultura do eucalipto. A área estudada abrange do extremo sul da Bahia à região central-serrana do Espírito Santo. A partir de dados de temperatura e pluviosidade de 64 estações meteorológicas, foi calculado o balanço hídrico sequencial decendial, para estimativa da evapotranspiração potencial (ETP), evapotranspiração real (ETR), índice de satisfação de necessidade por água (ISNA = ETR/ETP) e índice de satisfação por necessidade de água com base em análise frequencial de ocorrência de valores superiores a 0,65 (ISNA65). Por espacialização, foram gerados mapas das médias anuais dessas variáveis e dos períodos seco e chuvoso da área de estudo, a partir da seleção dos interpoladores de maior capacidade preditiva, eleitos por validação cruzada. O zoneamento foi elaborado utilizando-se análise de agrupamento, a partir das variáveis ISNA65, ETR do período seco e temperatura média anual. A zona litorânea apresentou as melhores condições agroclimáticas, com os maiores valores médios de ISNA65 (67,8%) e de ETR (391 mm), e a região oeste do Espírito Santo apresentou as piores condições agroclimáticas.Palavras-chave: Zoneamento agroclimático; análise de agrupamento; sistema de informações geográficas; krigagem. AbstractDelimitation of agroclimatic microregions and its relationships with the productive potential of eucalyptus culture. The objective of this research was to delimit agroclimatic favorable zones to the cultivation of eucalyptus. The study area encloses the extreme south of Bahia State to the Espirito Santo`s central-mountainous, Brazil. Using data from 64 weather stations and based on temperature and pluviometric data, water balance was calculated, in order to estimate the variables potential evapotranspiration (ETP), actual evapotranspiration (ETR), crop water requirement index (ISNA = ETR/ETP) and crop water requirement index based on analysis of the frequency of highest values to 0,65 (ISNA65). Spatial maps were generated by the annual averages of these variables for the dry and rainy periods of the study area from the selection of interpolation of higher predictive capacity, elected by cross-validation. The agroclimatic zoning was elaborated using cluster analysis, based on the variables: ISNA65 and ETR of the dry period and annual temperature. The littoral zone wich are the best agroclimatic conditions during the dry period and is characterized by high values of ISNA65 (67,8%) and ETR (391) and the west region of Espirito Santo, showed the worst agroclimatic conditions.Keywords: Agroclimatic zoning; cluster analysis; geographic information system; kriging.

A 200-year climate record in Central Europe: implications for agriculture

The close links of climate, soil conditions, and agricultural productivity have been used in Central Europe for taxation purposes since the eighteenth century. Since agroclimatic conditions are variable, their fluctuations in the past centuries can provide a valuable context for analyzing changes expected in the coming decades. Here, historical agroclimatic conditions and future projections were constructed for key agricultural regions in Central Europe. The agroclimatic zoning method used in this study incorporates (1) the sum of temperatures for days with a mean temperature above 10°C during the frost-free period, (2) the water deficit during the summer period from June to August, defined as the difference between precipitation and reference evapotranspiration, and (3) information regarding the suitability of soil and terrain for agriculture production based on twentieth century soil surveys. Changes in selected agroclimatological indices were also analyzed. To produce a weather series representing climate conditions between 1803 and 2008 over the study area, we used a stochastic weather generator trained on high-quality daily observations from 52 representative meteorological stations during the baseline period from 1961 to 1990. To estimate the extent of agroclimatic zones and the values of selected agroclimatic indices, the parameters of the weather generator were perturbed by the deviations of the temperature and precipitation means from the baseline using a long-term climate series from 1803 to 2008, from Brno. To generate a weather series representing the climate in 2050, we used an approach known as “pattern-scaling” in combination with outputs of three general circulation models. To our knowledge, this is the first study analyzing both continuous fluctuations in agroclimatic conditions over the past 200 years and expected shifts in the coming decades over Central Europe.

Expected changes in agroclimatic conditions in Central Europe

During the past few decades, the basic assumption of agroclimatic zoning, i.e., that agroclimatic conditions remain relatively stable, has been shattered by ongoing climate change. The first aim of this study was to develop a tool that would allow for effective analysis of various agroclimatic indicators and their dynamics under climate change conditions for a particular region. The results of this effort were summarized in the AgriClim software package, which provides users with a wide range of parameters essential for the evaluation of climate-related stress factors in agricultural crop production. The software was then tested over an area of 114,000 km2 in Central Europe. We have found that by 2020, the combination of increased air temperature and changes in the amount and distribution of precipitation will lead to a prolonged growing season and significant shifts in the agroclimatic zones in Central Europe; in particular, the areas that are currently most productive will be reduced and replaced by warmer but drier conditions in the same time the higher elevations will most likely experience improvement in their agroclimatic conditions. This positive effect might be short-lived, as by 2050, even these areas might experience much drier conditions than observed currently. Both the rate and the scale of the shift are amazing as by 2020 (assuming upper range of the climate change projections) only 20–38% of agriculture land in the evaluated region will remain in the same agroclimatic and by 2050 it might be less than 2%. On the other hand farmers will be able to take advantage of an earlier start to the growing season, at least in the lowland areas, as the proportion of days suitable for sowing increases. As all of these changes might occur within less than four decades, these issues could pose serious adaptation challenges for farmers and governmental policies. The presented results also suggest that the rate of change might be so rapid that the concept of static agroclimatic zoning itself might lose relevance due to perpetual change.

디지털 농업기후도 해설

A comprehensive mapping project for agroclimatic zoning in South Korea will end by April 2010, which has required 4 years, a billion won (ca. 0.9 million US dollars) and 22 experts from 7 institutions to complete it. The map database from this project may be categorized into primary, secondary and analytical products. The primary products are called "high definition" digital climate maps (HD-DCMs) and available through the state of the art techniques in geospatial climatology. For example, daily minimum temperature surfaces were prepared by combining the climatic normals (1971-2000 and 1981-2008) of synoptic observations with the simulated thermodynamic nature of cold air by using the raster GIS and microwave temperature profiling which can quantify effects of cold air drainage on local temperature. The spatial resolution of the gridded climate data is 30m for temperature and solar irradiance, and 270m for precipitation. The secondary products are climatic indices produced by statistical analysis of the primary products and includes extremes, sums, and probabilities of climatic events relevant to farming activities at a given grid cell. The analytical products were prepared by driving agronomic models with the HD-DCMs and dates of full bloom, the risk of freezing damage, and the fruit quality are among the examples. Because the spatial resolution of local climate information for agronomic practices exceeds the current weather service scale, HD-DCMs and the value-added products are expected to supplement the insufficient spatial resolution of official climatology. In this lecture, state of the art techniques embedded in the products, how to combine the techniques with the existing geospatial information, and agroclimatic zoning for major crops and fruits in South Korea will be provided.

Managing Climatic Risks for Enhanced Food Security: Key Information Capabilities

Food security is expected to face increasing challenges from climatic risks that are more and more exacerbated by climate change, especially in the developing world. This document lists some of the main capabilities that have been recently developed, especially in the area of operational agroclimatology, for an efficient use of natural resources and a better management of climatic risks. Many countries, including the developing world, now benefit from well-trained staff in the use of climate data, physical and biological information and knowledge to reduce negative climate impacts. A significant volume of data and knowledge about climate–agriculture relationships is now available and used by students, scientists, technicians, agronomists, decision-makers and farmers alike, particularly in the areas of climate characterization, land suitability and agroecological zoning, seasonal climate forecasts, drought early warning systems and operational crop forecasting systems.Climate variability has been extensively modelled, capturing important features of the climate through applied statistical procedures, agroclimatic indices derived from raw climatic data and from remote sensing. Predictions of climate at seasonal to interannual timescales are helping decision-makers in the agricultural sector to deal more effectively with the effects of climate variability. Land suitability and agroclimatic zoning have been used in many countries for agricultural planning, thanks to the availability of new and comprehensive methodologies; developments in climate, soil and remote sensing data collection and analysis; and improved applications in geographic information systems (GIS).Drought early warning systems are available worldwide at both national and international levels. These systems are helping decision-makers and farmers to take appropriate decisions to adapt to short-term climatic risks. Also, operational crop forecasting systems are now becoming available at the regional and national levels. In some developed countries, several efficient and well tested tools are now available for optimizing on-farm decisions based on the combination of crop simulation models and seasonal forecasts. However, in developing countries few tools have been developed to efficiently manage crops at the farm level to cope with climate variability and climate risks. Climate change impacts on agriculture and food security have been assessed in international studies using specific and efficient methodologies and tools. Adaptation to climate change and variability can also be facilitated through effective planning and implementation of strategies at the political level. The role of technological progress, risk transfer mechanisms and financial instruments and their easy accessibility to rural people are critical elements of climate risk management.

The impact of climatic variability and climate change on arabic coffee crop in Brazil

The climatic variability is the main factor responsible for the oscillations and frustrations of the coffee grain yield in Brazil. The relationships between the climatic parameters and the agricultural production are quite complex, because environmental factors affect the growth and the development of the plants under different forms during the growth stages of the coffee crop. Agrometeorological models related to the growth, development and productivity can supply information for the soil water monitoring and yield forecast, based on the water stress. A soil water balance during different growth stages of the coffee crop, can quantify the effect of the available soil water on the decrease of the final yield. Other climatic factors can reduce the productivity, such as adverse air temperatures happened during different growth stages. Solar radiation and relative humidity influence many physiological processes of the coffee tree but are not generally thought to play an important role as thermal and rainfall conditions in defining potential yield or ecological limitations for this crop. According to the last report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007), the global temperature is supposed to increase 1.1ºC to 6.4ºC and the rainfall 15% in the tropical areas of Brazil. Some Global warming projections as presented by IPCC will cause a strong decrease in the coffee production in Brazil. According to the literature besides the reduction of suitable areas for coffee production, the crop will tend to move South and uphill regions. This review article analyze the effect that these possible scenarios would have in the agro-climatic coffee zoning in Brazil, and adaptive solutions, such as agronomic mitigations and development of cultivars adapted to high temperatures is considered.

Climate-driven changes of production regions in Central Europe

The presented work complements studies on agroclimatic zoning that were performed during 19<sup>th and 20<sup>th century in the Czech Republic and Austria and allows estimating the effect of climate change on the spatial distribution of agroclimatic conditions within both countries. The main conclusions of the study are: (1) The combination of increased air temperature and changes in the amount and distribution of precipitation will lead to significant shifts in the agroclimatic zones by the 2020’s. The current most productive areas will be reduced and replaced by warmer but drier conditions, which are considered less suitable for rainfed farming. (2) While trends in the changes expected in lowlands are mostly negative (especially for non-irrigated crops), higher elevations might experience improvement in their agroclimatic production potential. However, the production potential of these regions is usually limited by other factors such as the soil quality and terrain accessibility. Additionally, these positive effects might be shortlived, as by the 2050’s, even the areas in higher altitudes might experience much drier conditions than nowadays. (3) Dairy-oriented agriculture (based on permanent grassland production) at higher altitudes could suffer through an increased evapotranspiration demand combined with a decrease in precipitation, leading to higher water deficits and yield variations. (4) All above listed changes will most likely occur within less than four decades. The rate of change might be so high that the concept of agroclimatic zoning itself might lose its relevance due to the perpetual change.

Evaluation of soil temperatures at agroclimatological station Pohořelice

Soil temperatures were analysed for the climatological station Pohořelice during the period of 1961–2000. According to the agroclimatic zoning, this region is a part of warm macroarea, mainly warm area, mainly dry subarea, and a district of mainly cold winter. The average annual air temperature is 9°C and the average year precipitation total is 475 mm. For the characterisation of the soil temperature were used the average monthly soil temperature determined from daily averages, maximal monthly soil temperature determined on the basis of daily maximums, and minimal monthly value determined on the basis of daily minimums. In the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, the soil temperature was measured in the observation terms at 7:00, 14:00 and 21:00 local mean time. These temperature characteristics were assessed for the depths of 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 cm. The longterm average annual temperature for the depths measured varies from 10.0°C (at 20 cm) to 10.4°C (at 100 cm). From the longterm viewpoint, the warmest month for the depths of 5, 10, and 20 cm is July, the coldest one is January, and for the depths of 50 and 100 cm the warmest month is August and the coldest one is February. For the classification of single months, the average monthly soil temperature for the respective month was compared with the longterm average soil temperature of 1961–2000. According to the average monthly soil temperature and its standard deviation, the months of the evaluated period were divided into seven categories: thermally normal months, warm months, very warm months, extraordinary warm months, cold months, very cold months, and extraordinary cold months.