ABSTRACT
With agricultural productivity fundamentally dependent on the four inter-related factors of soil quality, solar radiation, the occurrence of pests and diseases and the prevailing climate, meteorological and climate forecasting are essential tools for the farmer. Short-term and seasonal forecasts communicated through accessible channels and in a timely fashion will, if blended with information about the agricultural calendar and relevant practices and technologies, enable farmers to make critical decisions about on-farm management that can either mitigate the impacts of negative conditions or enable them to take advantage of favourable ones. Farmers in developed countries typically use multiple information channels to access meteorological information on timescales from the next 24 hours to the next season to guide management decision-making. In addition, information on the likely impacts of climate change and long-term climate forecasts is increasingly deployed to assist enterprise planning.
