M.V.K. Sivakumar, World Meteorological Org., Ag Meteorology Div. WMO, 7bis Avenue De La Paix, Geneva, 1211, SWITZERLAND and Jerry Hatfield, National Soil Tilth Laboratory, USDA-ARS, 2110 University Blvd., Ames, IA 50011.
Agricultural meteorology as an accepted term is only about 80 years old. The increasing frequency of natural disasters, including pests and diseases, and the growing climate variability and climate change are impacting the natural resource base, crop yields and incomes. There are increasing demands for better preparedness and prediction to deal with these issues. On the technology front, significant changes have occurred in the past two decades. Agrometeorological applications and services in agriculture, forestry, rangelands, and fisheries have grown enormously in the recent past. A WMO Expert Meeting on Review of Curriculum in Agricultural Meteorology at the Post-Graduate Level, co-sponsored by National Academy of Agricultural Sciences of India, the American Society of Agronomy and Academia Georgofili (Italy), was organized in March 2007 to develop a revised curriculum as well as recommendations for its effective implementation. Guidelines for the revision of Curriculum in Agricultural Meteorology at the Post-Graduate Level were prepared and copies are distributed to all the Agricultural Universities around the world.