Achievements

• A good data base of rainfall for all the district headquaters of the state has been compiled, analysed and recommendations on crops/cropping patterns based on optimum date of commencement of rainy season were prepared. Also a publication on Weather Calendar - Climatic History of Jabalpur has been brought out.
   
• Agro-climatology of soybean, a predominant crop of the region has been worked out and the optimum period of sowing and the impact of the length of terminal drought on soybean productivity have been quantified.
   
• Realationship of the week of commencement of rainy season with the expected total rainfall during the cropping season and the length of growing season have been worked out. This information provides a prediction on the long range weather, for planning crop/variety to be sown and management practices to be adopted.
   
• For soybean crop, a mean temperature of 20°C during the crop growing season has been identified as a threshold below or above which reduction in drymatter and grain yield occus.
   
• Variation in duration of growth phases in soybean with respect to three different sowing dates was studied.
   
• A model was developed with mean air temperature as base to predict flowering date in soybean crop for different dates of planting. This expression (model) finds an application in simulation programmes.
   
• Data on girdle beetle incidence in soybean for two seasons were collected and will be continued in the next two seasons to assess the weather conditions conductive for the incidence of this pest on soybean.