Knowledge Evaluation on Weather Forecast and Agro-advisory Services to Farmers in Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh, India

Weather is the major factor for crop growth and yield. Farmers were more interested on the current real time weather parameters such as rainfall, humidity in air , air temperature, direction and speed of the wind, Knowing of weather forecast is useful to reduce the yield loss and to obtain more yield with high remunerative price. The precise real time data at exact time allows the farmers to plan field management practices like choosing of correct crops, land preparation, field operations like spraying of pesticides and herbicides, irrigation, fertilizer application, harvest, drying and post harvest operations to reduce the crop damage and economic losses. The District Agromet unit (DAMU) located at KVK, Amadalavalasa is sending timely weather advisories to farmers of Srikakulam district based on the forecast issued by IMD. A total number of 1080AgroAdvisory Service (AAS) bulletins were prepared by using DSS software and disseminated to the registered farmers through whatsapp and other social media during 2022-2023. A random sample survey was conducted to study the impact of agro-advisory services to farmers based on weather forecast issued by DAMU, Srikakualm. The sample size was 60 farmers belong to different villages of Amadalavalasa and Srikakulam blocks of Srikakulam district. The study Results revealed that spotlight on illiterate farmers is much more significant and dispersal of advisories in audio or visual format is more comfortable and easy to understand. The results of the survey exposed that among the total farmers the farmers follow for sowing are 45 percent, for spraying operations are 11 percent, for harvest and drying are 62 per cent. Finally this study confirms that the farmers were more concentrate on sowing, harvest and drying related to weather forecast. Hence finally realized that farmers should follow forecast data of weather from choice of crop and its management practices to after harvest operations to get enhanced productivity and also superior net returns.