Weather photos help with crop planning

Keeping an eye on the sky is part of the routine of rural producers. After all, it is necessary to be aware of any change in the weather that could interfere with crop productivity. Faced with this concern, the FAEP/SENAR-PR System has a weather forecast tool on its website (sistemafaep.org.br) and application, in which farmers have access to real-time information from Brazil's 5.568 municipalities.

The section provides information for a period covering 30 days – longer than the average of other sites, which have data for up to 15 days. In addition to monitoring the weather forecast, the tool allows users to send photos of the weather.

Since the implementation of the functionality in 2022, more than 400 images have been published, recorded in several municipalities in Paraná and even in other states, such as Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Bahia, Pará, Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul .

The photos are published daily and can be viewed on the FAEP/SENAR-PR System website and application, in the Climate section, below the space with weather forecast information.

User participation

Producer Márcio Rogério Precybelovicz, from Contenda, in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba (RMC), is the biggest contributor to the Climate section. Since users implemented the photo upload tool, they have already uploaded more than 50 images. “I like posting the weather and capturing beautiful moments in nature,” he says. “It's a hobby. Whenever possible, I keep records”, adds the farmer, who also usually posts photos on WhatsApp status and Instagram.

Precybelovicz started sending his records a year ago, in February 2022. When accessing the website to download the certificate for a SENAR-PR course, the producer discovered the application and the possibility of sending photos. That's when he started following the weather forecast daily through the app. “During planting season, it helps to know about significant volumes of rainfall. This way I can add fertilizer first. During harvest time, I also follow, so I can organize myself”, points out Precybelovicz, who plants soybeans, corn and beans.

The technician from the Institute of Rural Development of Paraná (IDR–Paraná) Matheus Ribeiro, from Salto do Lontra, in the Southwest region of the State, recently sent his first record, after discovering the tool in a SENAR-PR training held with farmers from the County. “The course instructor showed the application and I downloaded it, as it is very interesting. Now I’m using it to follow the weather forecast and the news,” he says.

As a result, Ribeiro also started using the application to help with his day-to-day work, passing on weather forecast information to the farmers he serves. “It helps a lot with crop management. Sharing photos also helps publicize the tool and keep producers updated on the weather,” he says.