require basic model definition. For some important 

 tropical food crops such as cassava and plantain, we do 

 not even have a basic understanding of crop/weather 

 relationships. 



Rationale for Selecting this Topic 



Knowledge about the impact of weather on crops can 

 be of value throughout the food production spectrum, 

 from farmer to consumer. Farmers can reduce seed, 

 crop, and water waste by knowing better when to plant, 

 irrigate, and harvest. Specifically, they need to know 

 whether or not the first rain of a season marks the 

 advent of solid rains which will provide ample soil 

 moisture. As a climatic profile of an area is 

 developed, the most appropriate crops or strains of 

 crops can be selected. At the national level, 

 government can react more quickly to the conditions 

 brought on by a drought or frost. In general, 

 countries and individuals will benefit by developing 

 confidence in making decisions through knowing the 

 risks involved. 



The transfer of crop/weather technology offers a 

 large potential for increased and more efficient food 

 production and marketing in developing countries; much 

 of the technology and methodology is readily 

 transferable. Many locales will require the 

 development of new but simple instruments and trained 

 personnel to record plant growth and weather data. But 

 all countries have weather and agricultural services in 

 place which can begin to install, maintain, process, 

 and use such data. 



The Sahel is a case in point. Weather services, 

 largely devoted to aviation, were left in place by the 

 French; however, they needed considerable renovation to 

 provide the weather data and forecasts required to 

 support agriculture and pastoralism. observational 

 coverage needed modest expansion and technicians had to 

 be trained, a process that takes approximately two 

 years. Now through an international effort funds have 

 been provided for installing weather and hydrological 

 equipment, and a regional training center has been 

 established in Niamey, which is wisely focusing on 

 integrated agricultural-meteorological-hydrological 

 skills. 



The development of global weather data systems from 

 satellite information could also have far-reaching 

 effects on improving weather forecasts in developing 

 countries. With relatively small investments in ground 

 receiving equipment, these countries would be able to 

 make use of information resulting from relatively large 

 investments in satellites by developed countries. 



125 



