[Agricultural and meteorological considerations on agricultural production in tropical countries]

English. The crop is to perform two functions in order to carry out its biological cycle - a metabolic one and a biophysical one - consisting of a continual heat exchange between the crop and its surrounding environment. The crop temperature always rises whenever the crop receives a higher amount of heat than it can transfer to its surrounding environment. Catabolic processes are speeded up, consequently the crop yield decreases. That circumstance is a usual feature of tropical areas. On the other hand, the crop yield turns out to be very high whenever a fair balance between heat received and heat transferred is achieved. That circumstance is a usual feature of temperate areas. As a consequence, agrometeorological researchers aiming at investigating the crop yield as their primary target, are concerned to be closely acquainted with microclimatic conditions of the crop environment so that they can properly set them in the general climatic situation shown by the meteorological station.

Italian. L'ambiente nel quale vive la pianta consta di tre settori: (1) situato al disopra della vegetazione, e formato prevalentemente di atmosfera; (2) immediatamente sotto il primo settore, e formato dalle piante e dall'atmosfera tra esse confinata; e (3) piu in basso, e formato prevalentemente dal terreno. Questi tre settori in relazione alla densita, disposizione delle foglie, ecc. ricevono quote diverse di energia solare. Di conseguenza il profilo verticale del blocco di vegetazione presenta situazioni microclimatiche diverse che si ripercuotono sui vari processi biofisici-chimici e quindi sulla produzione finale.