Analysis of rainfall onset, cessation and length of growing season for western Kenya

Mugalavai, Edward M.; Kipkorir, Emmanuel C.; Raes, Dirk; Rao, M. V. C.

doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2008.02.013

Cited by 150 publications

(137 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The spatial variation in duration affects the choice of crop types and farming techniques, depending on zones in order to avoid losses due to insufficient number of rainy days. That is why in Kenya where the maximum length of the growing season is about 4 months, irrigation is recommended during the short rainy season as a way of supplementing the limited rainfall (Mugalavai et al, 2008)). The increase in the length of the rainy season from zone 3 to zone 1 may be explained by the annual migration of the ITD, which controls the Monsoon influx of humid maritime air into the continent.…”

Section: Comparative Study Of Mean Onset and Retreat Dates And Lengthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many regions over the world are expected to suffer substantial climate modifications as a result of global warming. These changes will affect the onset and retreat of the rainy season which has become irregular over the years (Salack et al, 2011), making it difficult for farmers to optimize the seed planting period and adjust to the length of the growing season (Olaniran, 1983a;Mugalavai et al, 2008;Ndomba, 2010). The immediate consequences are the decrease of agricultural production and an increase risk of hunger.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Onset, retreat and length of the rainy season over Cameroon

Guenang

Kamga

2012

Atmospheric Science Letters

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Observed precipitation from 24 stations in Cameroon during 1962-1993 were used to study onset, retreat and length of the rainy season. Results were compared to control simulations by four IPCC 4AR AOGCMs. CSIRO-mk3.5 and MPI-echam5 AOGCMs best captured onset, retreat and duration of the rainy season. Projections for 2082-2098 under the SRES A2 emission scenario were also analysed. For that period, onset dates are expected to be later by 1 pentad or more than in the current climate and retreat by less than half a pentad in zones 1 and 2. This will lead to a slight decrease in the duration of the rainy season. The situation is reverse in zone 3, where the season will be longer.

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Section: Comparative Study Of Mean Onset and Retreat Dates And Lengthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Onset, retreat and length of the rainy season over Cameroon

Guenang

Kamga

2012

Atmospheric Science Letters

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“…In this situation of a marked seasonal rainfall regime, variability of the onset and cessation of rain is highly significant, and its estimation and prediction are necessary [6]. A delay of 1 or 2 weeks in the onset is sufficient to destroy the hopes of a normal harvest while a false start of planting, encouraged by a false start of rainfall may be followed by prolonged dry spells whose duration of 2 weeks or more may be critical to plant germination and/or growth [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of onset and cessation of rainfall in southwest nigeria: food security impact of of variability in the length of growing season

Sobowale¹,

Sajo²,

Ayodele³

2016

HAE

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The analysis of onset and cessation of rainfall for selected locations in South west Nigeria was carried out using daily meteorological data for five synoptic stations (Ikeja, Abeokuta, Ondo, Ibadan and Osogbo) in the region. The FAO Rainfall-Evapotranspiration model was used to elucidate the length of growing season and the impact of climate change on climatic variables and agricultural productivity. Results revealed that the wet season lasts from March to November within the period (2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014). The onset and cessation dates varied across the five locations that were considered; Ibadan and Ondo had an early onset of rain while Ondo and Oshogbo had a late cessation, while other stations considered had similar onset and cessation days. The length of the growing season range from 219 -228 days within the region, this suggests the types of crops that can be supported by the rain fed cropping system predominantly practiced in the region and the number of growing cycles that can be accommodated. The study also revealed that weekly analysis of data gave better result than monthly analysis, while daily analysis did not lead to any useful results. The results are of inestimable value for the planning, organization and execution of agricultural activities in the region and in areas of similar climate around the world.

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“…Crop yields may suffer significantly with either a late onset or early end of the rainy season, as well as a high frequency of damaging dry spells (Mugalavai et al 2008). Early rains at the beginning of the season are often followed by dry spells that can last a week or longer.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building Resilience to Drought in the Sahel by Early Risk Identification and Advices

Vignaroli

2017

Renewing Local Planning to Face Climate Change in the Tropics

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Agriculture in the Sahel region is characterized by traditional techniques and is strongly dependent on climatic conditions and rainfall. As a consequence of recurrent droughts in East and West Africa, integrated famine Early Warning Systems (EWS) have been established in order to produce and disseminate coherent and integrated information for prevention and management of food crises. Since the early 1990s, analysis tools and simulation models based on satellite meteorological data have been developed to support Multidisciplinary Working Groups (MWG) in cropping season monitoring. However, many of these tools are now obsolete from the IT perspective or ineffective due to unavailability of regularly updated meteorological data. To ensure a long-term sustainability of operational systems for drought risk zones identification CNR-IBIMET has developed 4Crop, a coherent Open Source web-based Spatial Data Infrastructure to treat all input and output data in an interoperable, platform-independent and uniform way. The 4Crop system has been conceived as a multipurpose tool in order to provide different categories of stakeholder, from farmers to policy makers, with effective and useful information for climate risk reduction and drought resilience improvement. Advice to farmers is a fundamental component of prevention that can allow a better adaptation of traditional cropping systems to climatic variability. Past experiences show that agro-meteorological information and weather forecasts can play a key role for food security, reducing the vulnerability of farmers, strengthening rural production systems and increasing crop yields. A participatory and cross-disciplinary approach is essential to build farmers' trust and to develop effective integration between scientific and local knowledge to increase the rate of dissemination and utilization of advice.

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Analysis of rainfall onset, cessation and length of growing season for western Kenya

Cited by 150 publications

References 10 publications

Onset, retreat and length of the rainy season over Cameroon

Onset, retreat and length of the rainy season over Cameroon

Analysis of onset and cessation of rainfall in southwest nigeria: food security impact of of variability in the length of growing season

Building Resilience to Drought in the Sahel by Early Risk Identification and Advices

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