Agricultural Warming System in the San Lorenzo Valley (Tambogrande – Peru)

Abstract

Our main goal is to provide farmers and workers update and essential agrometeorological information, which allows minimizing or avoiding losses caused by meteorological extreme agents such as droughts, floods or any events related to the climatic changes including harmful assaults (plagues or diseases) to the cultures. The National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology in Senami, Peru, has implemented a system for agrometeorological alertness, as well as, there are well organized and update workshops of training and formation for farmers related to how to understand and implement the system.

Keywords: agricultural alert.

Introduction

The agrometeorology is a discipline that links the elements or meteorological parameters in its manifestation, periodicity and variability with the requirements of the cultivated species and its economic use. In this sense, the parameters or weather elements that can be measured or observed in a station are very varied. They can be used for different purposes, for agricultural activities and their better agronomic management or prevent the natural impacts produced by phenomena such as the effects of the phenomenon "El niño" causing the reduction of supply of products in the local market national, international [1]. Also, when considering climate change and its effects caused by natural causes [2] as anthropic [3], causes climate at local, regional, and global variability with impact on the economy. For this reason, the weather forecast represents an indispensable tool to be used by entrepreneurs and producers in the management and efficient organization of the work of field, from the sowing date, the frequency of irrigation and fertilization, among others. However, the problem focuses on the lack of integration between the producer (farmers and entrepreneurs) and the results generated from scientific research, as well as in the vacuum of climate information in the St. Lawrence Valley. In this way, the system of early warning in the St. Lawrence Valley aims to achieve a training to anticipate, act in time and not to react belatedly.

Materials and Methods

Figure 1: The study area

The scope of the project subscribes in the St. Lawrence Valley (Tambogrande-Peru), with an area under irrigation of 41,550 has grown of mango, lemon, rice and cotton crops, with a system of regulated and unregulated irrigation (Figure 1).

a) Implementation of agrometeorological station

In the Pedregal área of the St. Lawrence Valley, Tambogrande (Perú), was installed an automatic weather station of agrometeorological Wireless Vantage Pro 2 Plus (D162W1) (Figure 2, 3). Its location was considered in accordance with international standards of the WMO and the subsequent election of phenological observation plots representative crops in the valley (mango and lemon crops), (Figure 2 and 3).

b) Integration into the management system and actors agrometeorological

Disclosure of regional agrometeorological information is from newsletters published monthly by the National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology (SENAMHI), which are part of training support material to farmers of St. Lawrence Valley (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Schematic methodology developed for decision-making

Lawrence Valley

Source: Dedios, 2010

On the other hand, dissemination and learning methodology considers the structure of work in series: See, Judge and Act, applied to farmers in the workshops of the project [4].

Figure 5: Integration scheme Agrometeorology Warning System in the St. Lawrence Valley

Source: Dedios, 2010

b.1) Training of farmers

Believe at education as an indispensable element for achieving sustainable development1. In this regard, the dissemination of agricultural and environmental reality in the San Lorenzo Valley and the training process will enable the farmer holds technical criteria provided by your own knowledge construction and communication research, participation and expression [5]. Under this consideration were developed:

b.1.1) Training Workshops

These workshops were a focus agroclimatic and agribusiness. In the agro-climatic approach was the following topics:

• Environmental issues in the St. Lawrence Valley.

• Definition: climate variables and elements that comprise.

• Definition of Phenology, its importance: phenological phases of major crops in the valley installed San Lorenzo, mango and lemon.

• Definition and importance of meteorology at regional level.

Figure 6: Process of education and training workshops at the community center sector of La Merced, St. Lawrence Valley.

Source. Dedios, 2010

According to Figure 6 and Table 1, greater dissemination and exchange of agrometeorological information are priority actions for agrometeorological monitoring system in the area of ? St. Lawrence Valley.

Table 1: Information Flow Network agrometeorological in St. Lawrence Valley.

b.2. A broadcast system radio

Broadcasting system is implemented in the area of ??Valle de San Lorenzo, where every day is given to know the weather and cultural recommendations to follow in the installed crops, this includes recommendations on the frequency of irrigation, pruning, fertilizing and more. On the other hand, production of information in different storage media (posters, newsletters) and broadcast (via educational programs, informative, videos, and TV spots) within the St. Lawrence Valley.

Results and discussion

The results indicate that approximately 25 actors representing in the St. Lawrence Valley know the early warning system. With this approach, is to articulate the direct actors (producers) to those decision makers associated mainly with the Board of Members of the St. Lawrence Valley in order to create in them new skills.

Figure 7: Producers directly trained in the San Lorenzo Valley

In relation to the interest of farmers to be trained, we note that the number is increasing (Figure 7) if we include those farmers who make decisions based on information received by radio communication in the area of ??the valley. This situation is important if we consider the surface (ha) of plots on which the producers would take appropriate decisions. It observed that an average of 20 farmers would use climate information for the proper management of its plot. On the other hand, farmers with a level of literacy in some cases may have limitations in assimilating new knowledge and implementation. Therefore, both agricultural practices and traditional activities carried out by local producers determine the possibility of introducing new proposals and recommendations of the predictions. Lessons learned from other latitudes represent methodologies that are teaching tools to strengthen and prevent damage and mitigate potential hazards, and raise the capacity to adapt to adverse situations.

Conclusions

If the weather is a determining factor for the success or failure of agricultural production, is not it logical to start considering the weather? From this reflection, the rural producers of mango and lemon San Lorenzo Valley learning to systematize their observation and help reduce their vulnerability to climate change. Having a base of phenological climate data gathered from weather stations on the main crops and those recent high economic interest not only in the area of ??San Lorenzo Valley but also in the region, is a strong potential available for producers to take right decisions .

The scarcity of historical San Lorenzo Valley, both climatic and phenological can be solved with the use of tools that facilitate the actual possibilities of automation, in line with the ideas set forth by [5]. Therefore, the ability to generate information and biometric phenological observations of crops in the range of weather stations near the San Lorenzo Valley, Cleaver and Mallares, represents a set of weak correspondence between the farmer and science. For this reason, it is viewed as a general strategic problem, if we analyze the inverse relationship as expressed by [6] to argue that the use of the above results, the permanent change and the crossing of information and makes science models would constitute a cumulative tradition of knowledge and practices. Thus, it has been identified as one of the problems the need for more Rural Extension.

The results of research down the Operational Need an information system, Since the publication of newsletters and issue early warning notices Farmers and agricultural Aimed at Professionals in the San Lorenzo Valley, so as to enable Farmers to Take Advantage of Conditions favorable weather and climate and adequately Losses minimize When These Conditions Are unfavorable. Thus, the system Implemented Ensures The Possibility of Coverage for a better way to manage and Improved production in the major mango and lemon. The training of farmers "is the Strengthening of observational systems, data management and Dissemination of Meteorological and information, biological and Productive integration of stakeholders to Develop a system of monitoring, forecasting and early warning of hazards related to climate and agrometeorological variability and climate change, Contributing Increasing production to Sustainable Food, to adaptation and mitigation Measures in sensitive areas and the recovery of degraded soils.

Agreements

The National Council of Science and Technology, CONCYTEC, for funding the project engineer Jorge Suarez Yerres National Weather Service and Technical Félix Zapata Chira-Piura Special Project.

References

[1] Crowley, Thomas J. y Gerald R. North, «Abrupt Climate Change and Extinction Events in Earth History», Science, 1988.

Autor:

N. Dedios1

M. Montero2

1 National Service of Meteorological and Hidrological, Perú.

2 National University of Piura, Perú.