Weather Forecast System Developed by IIT Kharagpur

Researchers at IIT Kharagpur have developed an advanced weather forecasting system in order to disseminate data regarding climate and its challenges to the farmers so that they can make informed decisions. This is expected to ensure that the agriculture sector is not affected by the weather uncertainties.

Highlights

The institute has tied up with the India Meteorological Department and the Ministry of Earth Sciences. It is already offering agriculture-related advisory to the farmers so that their production is improved and also they can produce the proper crops in various weather conditions. The organization has developed two projected – ‘Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa’ and ‘Forecasting Agricultural Output using Space, Agrometeorology and Land-based Observations’.

Both these projects are aimed at providing weather information to the farmers in order to improve their economic return. While the advisories will help in crop selection, determining planting time, preparation of land, input management and yield of crops, it is mainly based on future weather and land characteristics of a specific location so that the farmer can get personalized and localized advice.

This advisory comes out every week on Tuesday and Friday and it is then sent to the farmers. Under this, farmers are advised regarding fertilizers, irrigation and pesticides every week throughout the whole cropping season.

Apart from this agro-advisory, the institute is also engaged in conducting awareness and training programs for farmers regularly in villages on organic and integrated farming methods, using advanced production technology ensuring sustainable growth of agriculture.

As of now, the advisory is forwarded in the Bengali language to around three lakhs farmers in West Midnapore, Jhargram, Bankura, Purulia, Birbhum, etc.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2020