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.