Applied Agroclimatology: A Guide to Climate Resilient Agriculture
authored by: BV Ramana Rao, GSLHV Prasada Rao, Surender Singh & V Uma Maheswara Rao
Hardback
EBook
eChapter
The book is a comprehensive and practical book that brings together the fundamental concepts of climatology, agrometeorology, climate statistics and crop–climate relationships. It is designed to help readers understand, analyse and interpret climatic information for better agricultural planning and climate-resilient crop production.
The book begins with the concept of resilience in a changing climate, highlighting the importance of understanding climatic variability and its implications for agriculture. It then introduces climatic statistics as an essential tool for interpreting climate data and making informed agroclimatic decisions. Statistical techniques such as correlation and regression analysis, probability analysis, and parametric and non-parametric tests are presented in the context of climatology and agroclimatology.
A major focus of the book is the assessment of water and thermal resources for crop production. Dedicated chapters on precipitation indices, water budget and soil moisture provide a foundation for understanding rainfall variability, water availability and soil–water relationships. The book further explores thermal indices and crop phenology, followed by the concepts of cardinal temperatures and agroclimatic requirements of crops, enabling readers to understand how temperature influences crop growth and development.
The concluding section introduces bioclimatic concepts, linking climatic conditions with biological processes and agricultural productivity. By integrating statistical methods with practical agroclimatological concepts, the book provides a useful framework for analysing climate–crop interactions and supporting climate-informed agricultural decision-making.
Key Features
- Covers essential climatological and agroclimatological concepts in a structured manner.
- Explains statistical methods specifically in the context of climate and agricultural data.
- Addresses precipitation, water balance and soil moisture as important components of crop production.
- Explores thermal indices, crop phenology and cardinal temperatures.
- Provides a foundation for understanding crop agroclimatic requirements.
- Introduces bioclimatic concepts relevant to agriculture.
- Supports the development of climate-resilient and data-informed agricultural practices.
The book will be particularly useful for students, teachers, researchers and professionals in Agronomy, Agricultural Meteorology, Agrometeorology, Climatology, Crop Science and related agricultural disciplines. It can also serve as a valuable reference for researchers working on climate variability, crop-weather relationships and climate-resilient agriculture.
BV Ramana Rao has been a towering figure in the field of Agricultural Meteorology, with a distinguished career spanning over four decades. He began his academic journey at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, where he taught Agricultural Meteorology from 1966 to 1979. Subsequently, he joined the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and served in various key capacities until his superannuation in April 2000. He held the position of Head, Division of Climatology, Wind Power, and Solar Energy Utilization at ICAR- CAZRI, Jodhpur, and later became the Founder Project Coordinator of the pioneering AICRP on Agrometeorology, ICAR-CRIDA, Hyderabad, from December 1984 to March 1994. Professor Rao’s contributions to the advancement of agrometeorology are both foundational and transformative. His research significantly shaped key areas such as agroclimatic characterization, delineation of efficient cropping zones, crop-weather modeling, classification and management of agricultural droughts, and operational agrometeorology. He has published over 150 research papers, including 50 papers in high-impact international journals, reflecting his global scientific standing. In addition, he has authored 55 books and monographs, along with numerous technical and scientific bulletins. He served with distinction as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Agrometeorology for an impressive 14 years (2009–2023), elevating the journal’s stature and influence in the global agrometeorological community. He was awarded the prestigious British Council Fellowship (1986–87) for advanced training at the University of Reading, UK. In recognition of his lifelong contributions to the field, he was honored with the title of Honorary Fellow (2011) and conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award (2025) by the Association of Agrometeorologists.
GSLHV Prasada Rao is an eminent agrometeorologist, climate scientist, and academic leader who have made outstanding contributions to climate science and agricultural meteorology in India. Born in December 1954, he obtained his BSc (Physics), MSc (Meteorology) with specialization in Agricultural Meteorology and PhD in Agro-climatology from Andhra University, Waltair, in 1980. Dr. Rao began his professional career as a Junior Hydro-meteorologist in the Ground Water Department, Govt of Rajasthan, and later joined Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, as Assistant Professor in the Dept of Agricultural Meteorology in 1980. He became Professor in 1989 and subsequently served in several key positions including Head of the Dept of Agricultural Meteorology, Associate Director of About the Authors 3 Research (Disaster Management), Associate Dean and Director (Academic & PG Studies) of KAU. A visionary institution builder, Dr Prasada Rao established the Centre for Climate Change Research at KAU and played a pioneering role in launching a five-year Integrated MSc Programme in Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture and Allied Sectors in collaboration with the University of Western Australia and other international institutions Dr Rao has authored more than 160 research papers, articles and books in climate science and agricultural meteorology. His notable publications include the widely appreciated reference books Climate Change and Agriculture over India and Agricultural Meteorology. He has served on the Boards of Studies of CUSAT and TNAU, contributed to several scientific panels and selection committees, and was a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Agrometeorology. A Life Member of leading scientific societies including the Indian Meteorological Society and Association of Agrometeorologists, Dr Prasada Rao continues to contribute actively as a consultant in climate science, plantation crop agrometeorology, and weather-based agro-advisory services. His distinguished career reflects scientific excellence, visionary leadership, and lifelong dedication to climate-resilient agriculture.
Surender Singh brings with him over thirty-five years of distinguished experience in the field of agrometeorology, marked by excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and academic administration. He earned his PhD in Agrometeorology and has served in various esteemed capacities at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India including Principal Scientist, Professor & Head, Senior Scientist, Assistant Scientist, Advisor (Recruitments), and Assoc Director (Students’ Counseling and Placement). A meritorious scholar, he is the recipient of two Gold Medals-one for Best Research Work during his doctoral program, and the other for the Best PhD Dissertation, awarded by the then President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. He was twice offered the prestigious UK Universities Vice Chancellors’ Scholarship under the Commonwealth Fellowship Program for higher studies. His international academic journey includes post-doctoral fellowships at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy; Instituto Agronômico, Campinas, Brazil; and BOKU-Met – Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Vienna, Austria. Dr Singh is a life member of numerous professional societies, including the Association of Agrometeorologists, Indian Meteorological Society, Indian Society of Remote Sensing, International Society for Agrometeorology, Society for Sustainable Agriculture and Resource Management, ESPERE, European Drought Centre and SAFOAM. He has organized several national-level trainings, seminars, and symposia in Agrometeorology and allied fields. His academic contributions include over 250 publications, encompassing research papers, popular articles, manuals, teaching aids, and book chapters. In addition, he has authored 50 books and monographs, along with numerous technical and scientific bulletins. He has served as Managing Editor of the Journal of Agrometeorology, Vice President of Association of Agrometeorologists and contributed internationally as Research Collaborator with MARCO (Japan) and SPARC, ETH Zurich (Switzerland). His expertise has been recognized globally, with appointments to the Expert Team on Agrometeorology (CAgM-WMO, Geneva) from 2018 to 2020, and as a Core Committee Member on Agriculture-Drought at WMO, Geneva for two consecutive terms (2021–24 and 2024–27). He also serves as an External Expert for Research Project Evaluation at the COST Association, European Union, Brussels. A dedicated mentor, Dr. Singh has guided numerous undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students who now serve in prominent positions across India. Widely traveled, he has represented India across the globe in academic and scientific forums. In recognition of his exemplary achievements and enduring impact on agrometeorological science, he was conferred the prestigious title of Fellow of the Association of Agrometeorologists in 2024.
V Uma Maheswara Rao is a seasoned expert in Agrometeorology, with over four decades of extensive experience in teaching, research, extension, and academic administration. He holds a PhD in the broad field of Agrometeorology and has served in various distinguished roles including Project Coordinator, Principal Scientist, Professor & Head, Agrometeorologist, and Assistant Scientist at CCS Haryana Agricultural University and under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Throughout his career, Dr Rao has been instrumental in shaping the growth and direction of agrometeorological science in India. He has actively contributed to the development and dissemination of agrometeorological knowledge by organizing and leading numerous national and international training programs, workshops, and capacity-building initiatives, aimed at empowering students, researchers, and field professionals alike. He is a life member of several esteemed professional and scientific organizations, including the Indian Meteorological Society, The Arid Zone Research Association of India, Indian Society of Remote Sensing, Association of Agrometeorologists, International Society for Agrometeorology and The Indian Society of Dryland Agriculture. He has served as President of Association of Agrometeorologists also. With an exceptional academic footprint, he has authored and published more than 345 scholarly contributions, including research papers, popular articles, manuals, teaching aids, bulletins, and book chapters. In addition, he has authored 65 books and monographs, along with numerous technical and scientific bulletins. His leadership and expertise were globally acknowledged when he served as a member of the CClET-IIC of the World Meteorological Organization, Geneva (2014–2017). He was also appointed to the XI Plan High Powered Review Committee of the MoES, Govt of India, in 2012. In recognition of his visionary leadership, the prestigious Chaudhary Devi Lal Award for the Best AICRP on Agrometeorology was conferred by ICAR in 2014, under his stewardship as Project Coordinator. A passionate mentor, he has guided a large number of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students, many of whom now hold key positions across the country in the domain of Agrometeorology His professional engagements have taken him to numerous countries, representing India in various scientific forums and collaborative projects. His vast experience, dedication to education, and deep commitment to agrometeorological research continue to inspire the next generation of scientists and practitioners.
Chapter 1: Cultivating Resilience in a Changing Climate
Chapter 2: Climatic Statistics—Decoding the Language of Climate Data
Chapter 3: Correlation and Regression Analysis in Climatology and Agroclimatology
Chapter 4: Probability Analysis in Climatology and Agrometeorology
Chapter 5: Parametric and Non-Parametric Tests in Climatology and Agroclimatology
Chapter 6: Precipitation Indices
Chapter 7: Water Budget
Chapter 8: Soil Moisture
Chapter 9: Thermal Indices and Phenology of Crops
Chapter 10: Cardinal Temperatures and Agroclimatic Requirements of Crops
Chapter 11: Bioclimatic Concepts
Climate change and increasing environmental variability require agricultural professionals to possess strong theoretical knowledge and practical analytical skills. This book addresses the need for a comprehensive, syllabus-aligned resource for postgraduate Agricultural Meteorology students following the ICAR curriculum. It covers climatic statistics, correlation and regression, probability analysis, parametric and non-parametric tests, precipitation indices, water budgeting, soil moisture, thermal indices, crop phenology, cardinal temperatures and bioclimatic concepts. Practical applications connect climate analysis with agricultural resilience and decision-making. Multiple-choice questions support self-assessment and examination preparation. The book aims to strengthen climate understanding, analytical competence and the development of sustainable, resilient agricultural systems.
Applied agroclimatology integrates climatology with agronomy to understand and manage interactions between weather, climate, crops, soils and agricultural resources. It converts climatic observations and forecasts into practical information for sowing, irrigation, fertilizer application, pest management and harvesting. This chapter introduces agro-meteorological processes, crop-environment relationships, resource management and climate-smart decision-making. It explains how increasing temperatures, altered rainfall, droughts, floods and extreme weather threaten agricultural productivity and farmer livelihoods. Agroclimatic zoning, crop-calendar adjustment, suitable variety selection, early-warning systems and weather-based insurance are discussed as important approaches for strengthening food security, managing climate risks and developing resilient agricultural systems.
1 - 10 (10 Pages)
USD34.99
Climatic statistics applies quantitative methods to weather and climate observations, transforming raw records into information for forecasting, planning and resource management. This chapter explains how averages, variability, distribution, trends and extremes describe climatic behaviour over time and space. It introduces climate normals, measures of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, kurtosis, data quality, missing-value treatment, homogenization and outlier detection. Statistical interpretation helps distinguish short-term weather fluctuations from long-term climatic patterns. In agriculture, these techniques support crop planning, drought assessment, rainfall characterization and risk management. The chapter establishes the statistical foundation required for scientifically examining climate variability and its influence on crops, ecosystems and agricultural resources.
11 - 27 (17 Pages)
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Correlation and regression are essential statistical tools for examining relationships among climate variables and agricultural responses. Correlation measures the strength and direction of association, while regression develops mathematical relationships for explanation and prediction. This chapter discusses their application to rainfall, temperature, humidity, evapotranspiration, crop growth and yield. It explains simple and multiple relationships, assumptions, interpretation, model fitting, predictive power and potential errors. These methods support crop-weather modelling, yield forecasting, climate-impact assessment and agricultural decision-making. By identifying how climatic variables influence biological and production processes, correlation and regression analysis help researchers generate reliable predictions and design more resilient and productive agricultural management strategies under changing environmental conditions.
29 - 42 (14 Pages)
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Probability analysis measures the likelihood of uncertain climatic and agricultural events. It is particularly useful for assessing rainfall occurrence, drought, floods, heatwaves, cold events and other risks that cannot be predicted with complete certainty. This chapter introduces classical, empirical, subjective and conditional probability, probability distributions, return periods and recurrence analysis. It explains how historical climatic records can estimate the likelihood and severity of future events. These methods assist in crop selection, sowing decisions, irrigation planning, infrastructure design and weather-risk management. By converting uncertainty into measurable probabilities, the chapter provides a scientific basis for climate-informed agricultural planning, disaster preparedness and development of resilient farming systems.
43 - 53 (11 Pages)
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Hypothesis testing enables researchers to determine whether apparent climatic or agricultural differences are statistically meaningful. Parametric tests are appropriate when data satisfy assumptions such as normality and homogeneity, whereas non-parametric tests are useful for irregular, ranked or non-normally distributed observations. This chapter discusses commonly used procedures, assumptions, selection criteria and interpretation. Applications include comparing weather conditions, evaluating crop responses, detecting rainfall or temperature trends and assessing environmental change. Methods such as t-tests, Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Kendall tests are relevant to agroclimatic research. Appropriate test selection improves analytical reliability and supports evidence-based decisions concerning climate variability, crop performance and agricultural adaptation.
55 - 73 (19 Pages)
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Precipitation indices convert rainfall data into standardized measures of wetness, dryness, intensity and duration. They allow climatic conditions to be compared across locations and time scales despite differences in normal rainfall. This chapter introduces major indices such as the Standardized Precipitation Index, Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index, Percent of Normal and percentile-based measures. It discusses data requirements, calculation, interpretation, strengths and limitations. These indices support meteorological, agricultural and hydrological drought assessment, wet-spell analysis, crop planning and water-resource management. By identifying the severity and persistence of rainfall deficits or surpluses, precipitation indices strengthen early warning, drought preparedness and climate-risk management in agriculture.
75 - 81 (7 Pages)
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A water budget quantitatively accounts for water entering, leaving and remaining within a defined agricultural or hydrological system. Comparable to a financial budget, it considers precipitation, irrigation, runoff, evapotranspiration, percolation and changes in storage. This chapter explains the climatic and soil-water budget, potential and actual evapotranspiration, water surplus, water deficit and moisture adequacy. It discusses how water-balance analysis supports irrigation scheduling, crop planning, drought assessment, rainwater harvesting and watershed management. Understanding the timing and magnitude of water availability helps farmers and planners select crops and management practices suited to local conditions. Water budgeting therefore provides a fundamental tool for climate-resilient and resource-efficient agriculture.
83 - 97 (15 Pages)
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Soil moisture is the water retained within soil pores and represents a critical link between precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, infiltration and groundwater recharge. It provides the principal water supply for plant growth and strongly influences crop establishment, nutrient availability and yield. This chapter discusses soil-moisture storage, field capacity, permanent wilting point, available water, infiltration, percolation and root-zone dynamics. It examines methods of measurement, estimation and monitoring and explains how soil texture, structure, organic matter, vegetation and weather influence moisture conditions. Effective soil-moisture management supports irrigation scheduling, drought mitigation, water-use efficiency and prevention of waterlogging, thereby strengthening agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability.
99 - 108 (10 Pages)
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Temperature regulates germination, plant growth, flowering, maturity and many insect and disease processes. Thermal indices integrate temperature over time to quantify biological development more effectively than simple temperature averages. This chapter introduces growing degree days, heat units, photothermal units, heliothermal units and related measures. It explains base, optimum and maximum temperatures and connects accumulated thermal time with crop phenology. These indices help predict development stages, adjust sowing dates, estimate harvest periods, schedule farm operations and assess varietal suitability. Thermal-index analysis is particularly valuable under climate variability because it enables researchers and farmers to anticipate shifts in crop development and improve climate-responsive agricultural management.
109 - 122 (14 Pages)
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Crop performance depends on how closely environmental conditions match genetic requirements. Cardinal temperatures define the minimum, optimum and maximum thresholds within which germination, growth and development occur. This chapter explains these thresholds and presents their relevance to major crops. It also examines rainfall, sunshine, humidity, photoperiod and other agroclimatic requirements determining where and when crops can be cultivated successfully. Knowledge of crop-specific requirements supports agroclimatic zoning, variety selection, sowing-date adjustment and assessment of climate-change impacts. Matching crops and cultivars to suitable environmental conditions reduces weather-related risk, improves resource efficiency and helps realize crop-yield potential under present and changing climatic conditions.
123 - 136 (14 Pages)
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Bioclimatology examines relationships between climate and living organisms, including crops, livestock and humans. It draws on biology, ecology, meteorology, architecture and physiology to explain how temperature, humidity, radiation and wind influence development, comfort, health and productivity. This chapter introduces bioclimatic indices such as the Temperature-Humidity Index, Humidex, wind chill and thermal-comfort measures. Agricultural applications include crop and livestock suitability, heat-stress assessment, housing design, work planning and development of resilient farming systems. Understanding biological responses to climatic conditions supports appropriate management interventions and helps protect productivity and welfare. Bioclimatic analysis therefore connects atmospheric conditions with practical decisions involving plants, animals and people.
137 - 148 (12 Pages)
USD34.99
Index
Climate Resilience, Climate Change, Climatic Statistics, Climate Data Analysis, Climatology, Agroclimatology, Agrometeorology, Correlation Analysis, Regression Analysis, Probability Analysis, Parametric Tests, Non-Parametric Tests, Precipitation Indices, Water Budget, Soil Moisture, Thermal Indices, Crop Phenology, Cardinal Temperatures, Agroclimatic Requirements, Bioclimatic Concepts