Characterization of Climatic Data for Predicting Growing Period, the Case of Maichew, Northern Ethiopia

In terms of improved crop production, knowledge and information of the crops and crop varieties grown in a given area is a better measure of climate, as applied to crop production in that region, than are complete climatic records. Water is the main element of living plant tissues. Water facilitates the movement of nutrients from the soil to the plant roots and upward throughout the plant tissues. It also provides hydrogen as an element of organic materials formed during photosynthesis. The transpiration of water also helps to cool plants during harsh temperature conditions. The effectiveness of a given rainfall for crop production highly depends on the time of the year that it falls along with its intensity. In moisture deficit areas, the deficiency could be overcome by supplementary irrigation and moisture conserving agronomic practices. Apart from this, the use of improved varieties like early maturing crops will also hold a paramount importance to combat such problems. In arid and semi-arid zones, the conservation and efficient utilization of the available scanty rainfall plays a significant role in the whole production system since it can relegate all other factors, including soil fertility, to minor positions. Therefore, knowledge on growing period has a central role in improving crop production. Thus, this paper is aimed at characterizing climatic data for predicting the growing period in the case of Maichew, Northern Ethiopia.