Agro Climate Research Centre

Objective

To impart the theoretical and practical knowledge of physical processes occurring in relation to plant and atmosphere with advanced techniques.

Theory:

Unit I: 

Meteorology and Climatology – Branches – Agricultural Meteorology – Importance, scope and application in crop production – components of agricultural meteorology; role and responsibilities of agricultural meteorologists.- Co-ordinates system, important coordinates, coordinates of India and Tamil Nadu – Atmosphere – Composition and vertical layers of atmosphere (stratification) – Climate – Weather – Weather parameters, types  and units – Factors affecting climate and weather – Earth movement, diurnal variation and season – Climatic classification basis and types, scales – Macroclimate – Meso climate – Microclimate – Definition and their importance – Different climates of India and Tamil Nadu and their characterization – application of climatology in various fields – paleo climatology

Unit II: 

Solar radiation –Light intensity, quality, direction and duration in crop production – radiation laws, radiation balance – Wave length characteristics and their effect on crop production – greenhouse effect, albedo – Air and Soil temperature – importance in crop production – Diurnal and seasonal variation in air temperature. Heat unit and its importance in agriculture – Heat and cold injuries. Relative Humidity and its importance – vapor pressure deficit and its importance – Wind, diurnal and vertical variation, wind in crop production – Atmospheric pressure – cyclones, anticyclones, tornado, hurricane and storms – Inter Tropical Convergence Zone – Pressure systems of the world – Elnino, Lanina, ENSO, Indian Ocean Dipole

Unit III: 

Lapse rates-ascent of dry and moist air, evaporation, condensation – Hydrological cycle – Clouds, types and their classification. Precipitation – process – forms – Monsoon – Different agricultural seasons of India and Tamil Nadu – Extreme events – drought – concept and types of drought, flood, cyclone, heat waves, cold waves and their effect on crop production – Artificial rainmaking, cloud seeding – Evapotranspiration – transpiration – PET. 

Unit IV:

 Agro climatic Zones and agro-ecological regions of India and Tamil Nadu – Agro climatic normal – Weather forecasting – synoptic chart – crop weather calendar – Numerical Weather Models – Global Circulation and Regional model, advantage and limitations. Remote sensing and crop weather modeling – Impact of climate and weather on crop production and pest and diseases. Climate change- climate variability – definition and causes of climate change – greenhouse effect, CO2 increase, global warming – Impact of climate change on Agriculture, Forestry, Hydrology, marine and coastal ecosystem

Unit V:

Role of Information Technology in meteorology – – Instrumentation, weather forecasting and automation

Practical

Agromet Observatory – Site selection and layout. Acquiring skill in use of Pyranometers – Sunshine recorder – Maximum, Minimum, Gross minimum and Soil thermometers – Thermograph, Dry and wet bulb thermometers – Hygrograph – Psychrometers – Fortein’s barometer – Barograph – Altimeter; Wind vane, Anemometer – Raingauge – Ordinary and self-recording; Automatic weather station – Evaporimeters – Lysimeters, Dew gauge. Preparation of synoptic charts and crop weather calendars. Rainfall probability analysis. Mapping of Agroclimatic Zones.

Theory Schedule

Unit I

• Meteorology and Climatology, definition, branches, Agricultural Meteorology, its importance, scope and application in crop production 
• Components of agricultural meteorology, role and responsibilities of agricultural meteorologists.-
• Co-ordinates system, important coordinates, coordinates of India and Tamil Nadu 
• Atmosphere, composition of atmosphere, vertical layers of atmosphere based on temperature difference / lapse rate.
• Weather and climate, Weather parameters, types and units
• Factors affecting climate and weather, Earth movement, diurnal variation and season
• Climatic classification basis and types, scales, macroclimate, meso climate, microclimate, definition and their importance
• Different climates of India and Tamil Nadu and their characterization, application of climatology in various fields.  Paleo climatology and importance

Unit II

• Solar radiation, Light, effect of intensity, quality, direction and duration on crop production 
• Laws of radiation, radiation balance, wave length characteristics and their effect on crop production – greenhouse effect, albedo
• Air temperature, factors affecting temperature. Diurnal and seasonal variation in air temperature 
• Role of temperature in crop production, isotherm, heat unit and its use, Heat and cold injuries 
• Soil temperature and its importance in crop production. Factors affecting soil temperature, diurnal and seasonal variation in soil temperature.
• Relative Humidity and its importance, types. Dew point temperature, vapour pressure deficit, diurnal variation in Relative humidity and its effect on crop production 
• Wind, diurnal and vertical variation, wind speed in different seasons and its role on crop production. 
• Wind systems of the world –Trades winds – Inter Tropical Convergence Zones (ITCZ), 
• Mid Semester Examination
• Atmospheric pressure, diurnal and seasonal variation, Isobar – Low, depression, cyclones, anticyclones, tornado, hurricane and storms.
• Pressure systems of the world – causes for variation –Elnino, Lanina, ENSO, Indian Ocean Dipole

Unit III

• Lapse rates-ascent of dry and moist air, evaporation, condensation and Hydrological cycle.
• Clouds, types and their classification.Precipitation process, forms, Isohyte
• Monsoon, onset process,different agricultural seasons of India and Tamil Nadu
• Extreme events, drought, concept and types of drought, flood, cyclone, heat waves, cold waves and their effect on crop production
• Artificial rainmaking, cloud seeding, past and present status.
• Evaporation – Transpiration, evapotranspiration – Potential evapotranspiration – Definition and their importance in agricultural production. 

Unit IV

• Agro climatic Zones and agro-ecological regions of India and Tamil Nadu – Agro climatic normal for field crops.
• Weather forecasting – Types, importance, Agro Advisory Services – Synoptic chart
• Crop weather calendar – methodology and uses
• Numerical Weather Models – Global Circulation and Regional model, advantage and their limitations
• Remote sensing and its application in agriculture – Crop weather modeling and its application in agriculture – list of models available
• Effect of weather and climate on crop production, soil fertility and incidence of pest and diseases, weather based agro advisory
• Climate change, climate variability – definition and causes of climate change including  ENSO – greenhouse effect, CO2 increase, global warming
• Impact of climate change on Agriculture, Forestry, Hydrology, marine and coastal ecosystem

Unit V

• Role of Information Technology in meteorology – Instrumentation, weather forecasting and automation

Theory Examination