Meeting Farmers' Needs For Agrometeorological Services: A Review With Case Studies Part I: Introduction And History

Meeting the needs for agrometeorological services, including agroclimatological services, in the livelihood of farmers is the focus of this paper in four Parts. This ideally leads to agrometeorological services for response farming with irrigation scheduling, early warnings, microclimate manipulation, and application of weather and climate forecasts in a changing and increasingly variable climate. In this first Part, some historical aspects are dealt with in the introduction, particularly regarding the definition and scope of agrometeorology. What has recently been said about such services is exemplified, including examples from South Africa, Cuba, Zambia and India.