Introductory Agrometeorology and Climate Change
Course Overview
Official detailed syllabus from the ICAR Sixth Deans’ Committee curriculum.
Course Objectives
Training graduate students with respect to management the climate aberration for sustainable crop production
Theory Syllabus
Agrometeorology – definition, scope. Earth atmosphere - its composition, extent and structure. Atmospheric weather variables. Elements and factors of weather and climate. Atmospheric pressure. Wind, types, daily and seasonal variation. Cyclone, anticyclone. Land and sea breeze. Solar radiation - solar constant, depletion, short and long wave, thermal radiation, net radiation, albedo. Atmospheric temperature, inversion, lapse rate, daily and seasonal variations, vertical profile. Energy balance of earth. Atmospheric humidity, saturation, vapor pressure, condensation. Dew, fog, mist, frost. Precipitation, process, types. Cloud formation and classification. Artificial rainmaking. Monsoon - mechanism and importance in Indian agriculture. Weather hazards. Agriculture and weather relations. Modifications of microclimate. Climatic normal for crop and livestock production. Weather forecasting – types and applications. Climate change and impacts on agriculture.
Practical Syllabus
Visit to agrometeorological observatory. Site selection of observatory and exposure of instruments and weather data recording. Measurement of total, short and long wave radiations and their estimation using Planck’s intensity law. Measurement of albedo and sunshine duration, computation of radiation intensity using BSS. Measurement of maximum and minimum air temperatures, tabulation, trend and variation analysis. Measurement of soil temperature and computation of soil heat flux. Determination of vapor pressure and relative humidity. Determination of dew point temperature. Measurement of atmospheric pressure and analysis of atmospheric conditions. Measurement of wind speed and wind direction, preparation of wind rose. Measurement, tabulation and critical analysis of rainfall. Computation of drought indices. Measurement of open pan evaporation and evapotranspiration. Computation of PET and AET.
Suggested Readings
1. Avi H S. 1985. Introduction to Agrometeorology. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co., New Delhi.
2. Lenka D. 2006. Climate, Weather and Crops in India. Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi.
3. Mavi H S and Tupper G J. 2005. Agrometeorology – Principles and Applications of Climate Studies in Agriculture. International Book Publishing Co., Lucknow.
4. Mavi H S 1994. Introduction to Agrometeorology. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi.
5. Nanjappa H V and Ramachandrappa B K. 2007. Manual on Practical Agricultural Meteorology. Agrobios India. Jodhpur.
6. Pattersen S. 1958. Introduction to Meteorology. Mc. Graw Hill Book Co. Inc., New York
7. Prasad Rao G S L H V. 2008. Agricultural Meteorology. Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
8. Srivastava A K and Tyagi P K. 2011. Practical Agricultural Meteorology. New Delhi Publishing Agency, New Delhi.
9. Yellamanda Reddy T and Sankara Reddi G H. 2010. Principles of Agronomy. Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi. Post-Semester II (Only for exit option for award of UG-Certificate in Agriculture) S. No. Course Title Credit load
1. Internship (10 weeks) 10 (0+10) * *Mandatory Internship to get Diploma after 2 Year exit. Semester V