Strategic targeting and tailoring of Agromet Advisory Services for Kharif sorghum in India

Timely availability of reliable, location- and crop-specific weather information is critical for prioritizing actions and minimizing agricultural losses. To tailor and target advisories specific to crop and location, a nested approach was adopted. This approach was applied to Kharif sorghum in which four production zones (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and others) and four efficiency zones (most efficient, efficient, not efficient, and inefficient) were delineated for two recent decades (2001–2010) and (2011–2020) across 168 sorghum-growing districts. Nesting these zones revealed significant transitions over time, with more than 30 districts showing a notable decline in the most efficient cropping zone (MECZ) and efficient cropping zone (ECZ), underscoring the need for focused attention and intervention. By prioritizing transition zones and tailoring advisories using integrated decision support tools and feedback mechanisms, this approach aims to build resilience and minimize losses due to climate variability and extreme weather events in the miller growing regions.