Utilizing rainy season onset predictions to enhance maize yields in Ethiopia

For countries dependent on rainfed agriculture, failure of the rainy season can lead to serious consequences on the broader economy. Maize, a common staple crop in these countries, often expresses significant interannual variability, given its high sensitivity to water stress. It is traditionally planted at rainy season onset to maximize the growing season and potential yield; however, this risks planting during a ‘false onset’ that can damage the crop or require replanting. Rainy season onset forecasts offer some promise in reducing this risk; however, the potential for increasing yield has not been explicitly quantified. This study quantifies the yield gap associated with suboptimal maize planting times using a process-based crop model over a 36 year historical period across Ethiopia. Onset-informed and forecast-informed approaches are compared with a baseline approach, and results indicate a strong potential for yield gains in drier regions as well as reductions in interannual variance countrywide. In contrast, regions with reliably sufficient precipitation illustrate only minimal gains. In general, integration of onset forecasts into agricultural decision-making warrants inclusion in agricultural extension efforts.