Editorial - I

Simultaneously, the meteorological services also improved the capabilities of weather forecasting through long range forecasting of monsoon rainfall, monitoring the origin, development and movement of large scale weather systems using satellite data, deploying radars for predicting local weather at micro level and through establishment of medium range weather forecasts for predicting weather 3 to 10 days in advance. Cooperative and collective farming through land consolidation can facilitate monocropping over large areas and help in; i) carrying out agricultural operations through mechanization, ii) efficient use of ground water and its recharge, iii) optimal use of surface irrigation, iv) effective adoption of pest and disease control measures and, v) optimal and timely use of agrometeorological advisories. More comprehensive and focused research is required to understand weather and climate, their variability to develop appropriate policy frame work for resilient and sustainable farming depending upon the progress of Indian monsoon during the growing season.