DISTRICT AGRO MET UNITS (DAMUs)
Project Description
Weather plays major role in determining the success of agricultural production. The increase in climatic variability and associated extreme weather episodes such as erratic rainfall distribution, abrupt change in day and night temperatures during crop season and sudden outbreaks in pest disease population are throwing challenges to sustaining production levels of different crops. To stabilize the production loss and to increase the crop yields of farmers both the ICAR and IMD agreed for memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish District Agro Met Units (DAMUs) under the Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva (GKMS) scheme in select Krishi Vigyan Kendras to prepare and disseminate sub-district (block) level agro-met advisory bulletins to cover maximum number of farmers in the district with the advisories. Under phase I, 24 KVKs have been selected for setting up of DAMUs in zone x (Nine in AP, four in Telangana, 10 in Tamil Nadu and one in Pondicherry). An additional four DAMU centers were established in four KVKs of Telangana under the administrative control of PJTSAU in phase II. Presently 28 KVK are having DAMU centers, through these centers, it was aimed to bring IMD and KVKs together in a structured matter to ensure better understanding of roles and responsibilities and to cater to the beneficiaries in a more effective manner. The SMS (Agrometeorology) and agromet observer appointed at each DAMU have the responsibility of is using block level agro-met advisories with the help of an expert panel, disseminate the same through different means like electronic, print and ICT platforms and to quantity the impact of the advisories in terms of benefits accrued to the recipients of the advisories. Agro met Advisory Bulletin (AAS) is a comprehensive guide for farmers which provides information on forecast weather for next five days, planting, sowing, stage-wise pest disease infestation information and preventive measures and also harvesting periods of locally adapted crops in a specific agro-ecological zone and the staff under DAMUs also collects feedback of farmers at regular intervals on the extent to which the advisories issued were of use to them in terms of productivity gain and crop loss avoided during extreme weather events.