DOST installs real-time weather station for Leyte farmers

CARIGARA, Leyte — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Eastern Visayas installed an Automatic Weather Station (AWS) to help farmers monitor their crops and be able to prepare for any climate-related event that may affect their crops.

Engr. Florentino Quiñones, Jr., Supervising Science Research Specialist at the DOST-8 said the installation of equipment at Brgy. Lower Hiraan, Carigara, Leyte was made through its Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry (SARAI) project to bring science to the people of Eastern Visayas.

Quiñones said the AWS is designed to provide weather and climate information at near real-time scales to enhance crop production, improve damage exposure, support agricultural research, and generate localized crop-specific advisories.

He added that the partnership with the LGU Carigara is expected to support the sustained use of the weather information for agricultural planning, disaster risk management, and the delivery of extension services.

The weather station monitors a six-day daily forecast which can be available at SARAI Knowledge Portal.

The SARAI Knowledge Portal has Real-Time Agricultural Monitoring which uses satellite data to provide near real-time views of agricultural areas, helping monitor crop health, assess potential flood and drought damage, and track vegetation and water-related stress.

The portal features Weather Forecast and Rainfall Outlook where AWS data are integrated and ensemble forecasting to provide municipality-specific advisories, including 5-day and 5-month rainfall forecasts and recommendations for crop, nutrient, and water management.

Carigara is one of the biggest agricultural producers of Leyte due to is extensive rice fields, coconut-based farming, root crops, corn, and active fishing and aquaculture along Carigara Bay.

Aside from installing the AWS, SARAI project also provided a training on the operation and maintenance of the equipment.