Experimental Meteorology and its Application in Agriculture

This book provides a practical and comprehensive guide to agrometeorology, focusing on weather-based decision-making in agriculture. It offers insights into climate data analysis, weather forecasting, crop modelling, and agroclimatic zoning that are the key tools for managing agriculture under changing climatic conditions. Beginning with the setup of agrometeorological observatories and time calculation methods, the book covers essential techniques such as climograph preparation, statistical analysis, and assessment of extreme weather events. It includes tools like comfort indices, rainfall probability models, and agroclimatic indices mainly growing degree day (GDD), helio-thermal (HTU) and photothermal units (PTU) for predicting crop phenological stages and yield. Chapters on estimation of chilling units, canopy temperature, and stress degree days help assess crop stress, while forest fire models expand its relevance to environmental risk management. Practical applications include crop weather calendars, water budgeting, evapo-transpiration estimation, and effective rainfall calculation plays vital for role irrigation scheduling and crop sowing planning. The book is ideal for undergraduate and post graduate students, researchers, and agrometeorologist looking to integrate climate information into agricultural practices.