iButtons to the rescue − improving drought response in Guatemala
Guatemala newspaper (in Spanish) features iButton weather sensors adapted by Bioversity International as part of the government’s plan to reduce vulnerability of agriculture to drought.
Guatemala newspaper (in Spanish) features iButton weather sensors adapted by Bioversity International as part of the government’s plan to reduce vulnerability of agriculture to drought.
Last year’s drought disaster in Guatemala affected at least 94,000 hectares of agriculture, leading to a loss of 2.5 million bushels of beans and maize with 266,000 families affected. There is a 58% chance that a similar disaster will occur again in 2015.
As part of a national plan to improve response rate and extension services in critical drought areas, Bioversity International and partners will be installing mini weather sensors to better analyze local climate trends, and help farmers make better crop decisions.
Read the full article (in Spanish)
La sequía del año pasado en Guatemala afectó al menos 94 mil hectáreas de cultivo, con 2,5 millones de quintales de frijol y maíz perdidos y 266 mil familias perjudicadas. Las probabilidades que el problema se repita en 2015, son de un 58%.
Como parte de un plan nacional para mejorar la respuesta a eventos agroclimáticos y los servicios de extensión en zonas críticas, Bioversity International formará parte del grupo de apoyo técnico para instalar pequeñas sensores meteorológicos, con el fin de ayudar los agricultores a tomar mejores decisiones sobre sus cultivos.