DEVELOPMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL METEOROLOGY AS A GUIDE TO ITS POTENTIAL FOR THE 21ST-CENTURY

In this paper the development of agricultural meteorology since 1800 is reviewed. A description of the development of the necessary climatic data bases for the interdisciplinary science is presented. A review is given of the use of statistics to formulate risks analyses for farm and forest management, and in statistical models for crop prediction through regression. The development and use of crop process models are discussed with several practical models listed. Remote sensing is identified as a new tool for appraising the thermal and water stress of a canopy and in assessing the crop and forest conditions of large production areas. The history of the development of service programs in agricultural and forest meteorology is also discussed. The challenges and problems for further development of these services are described.