Build your own weather station

Long gone are the days when farmers predicted the weather by sniffing the wind, squinting into the sky, and observing the movements of animals and insects. Modern agriculture demands precise, real-time data that will help farmers face the challenges posed by weather conditions.

In the Philippines, sugarcane farmers, planters, as well as researchers benefit from accurate measurements of environmental information from weather stations installed by the Philippine Sugar Research Institute Foundation, Inc.

"We are gathering environmental data which are important to plant growth. Since no institution could provide the type of data we need, we decided to set up our own weather stations," Philsurin deputy director general Dr. Ramon Cu said.

The installation of weather stations commenced in 2003. To date, Philsurin has 22 weather stations in mill District development councils all over the country: 15 in Negros and one each in Capiz, Davao, South Cotabato, Bukidnon, Pampanga, Tarlac and Batangas. Two more units will be installed in Iloilo, and one in the Cadiz-Sagay area before yearend.

The weather station is compact, but performs a phenomenal number of tasks. Attached to a 10-foot tall pole, it holds four sensors that measure rain, temperature, relative humidity and photosynthetic active radiation (sunlight), and a data logger which is no bigger than a matchbox stores all the information collected. The weather station’s operation is fully-automated.

The sensors gauge the four parameters every hour, 24 hours a day. Researchers may also re-set the weather station to collect data by the minute. Rain is collected and measured at an increment of 0.01 of an inch (accuracy is plus or minus two percent). Photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), on the other hand, is measured at the wavelengths 400 to 700 nanometers — the wavelengths that affect plant growth. The PAR sensor mimics the way a plant absorbs sunlight.

A computer is used to start up the weather stations, when the sensors begin to gather data. The data acquired are stored in a data logger which has a capacity of 15,000 measurements with a three-month battery life. The weather data may then be downloaded to a computer for report generation, analysis and permanent storage.

Philsurin has assigned several coordinators to download the data once a month. The data gathered are deposited in a central computer for research on crop growth modeling. Vital weather information is distributed to sugar stakeholders through monthly reports by MDDC coordinators.

"The data collected over a period of several years are important elements in constructing crop models for plant growth which can be used to predict crop maturity. Mathematical yield models which can be employed to make a more accurate crop yield estimate can also be derived from the stored data. Apart from these, weather stations aid in scheduling irrigation," Dr. Cu explained.

Moreover, the data may be employed by any decision-support system for harvesting and other operations. The weather data can also be used by the Geographic Information System for the creation of thematic maps, and for spatial analysis.

"Processed information from the Philsurin weather stations is useful in making farm-level decisions. It could also aid in policymaking at the national level," Dr. Cu said. Modern monitoring and information technologies have been proven to be instrumental in helping farmers make more informed decisions, resulting in better yields and reduced production costs.

A non-stock, non-profit research, development and extension services organization led by Director General Leon Arceo, Philsurin is exploring cost-effective technologies to sustain the countryís self-sufficiency in sugar.