Application of agroclimatic analogue technique to characterise the crop growing season in Ethiopia.

Rainfall in Ethiopia is characterized by high variation both temporally and spatially. As a result, the rainfall amount received over major crop producing areas of the country is oftentimes not enough for rainfed crop production. Hence, there is frequent deficit in agricultural production, and food shortage arises mainly due to deficit rainfall. This is becoming a common occurrence in the country. Rainfed crop production can be successful if the principles for improved resource management and improved farming systems are properly implemented. In order to establish the framework, knowledge of quantitative understanding of the agroclimatic resources of a location is very important. Moreover, to increase crop yields and to take wise decisions especially in crop production activities, it is essential to adapt scientific method of farming. In this paper an attempt has been made to characterize the growing season in terms of the time of commencement of sowing rain, crop establishment hazards, length of effective rainy period and crop failure risks using agroclimatic analogue technique. The results of t he study indicate that, the commencement of sowing rain is table in the first season. As a re sult, eash Hararghie, south Omo, east and west Gojam, south and north Gonder, south and north Wello, most parts of SNNPR, Arsi and Bale zones are identified as areas favourable for dry sowing. Similarly, the same is true for Arsi, north Shoa, Sidama and Bale during the second season. On the other hand, dry sowing risk is high over north-west Shoa, east Shoa, Gembella, Borena and eastern Bale. The onset of sowing rains is not sable in Somali and Afar both during the first and the second seasons. The risk of crop failure is high over west Tigrai, Afar, Somali, Borena, most parts of Bale and east Hararghie in the first season. Over the remaining parts of the country the risk varies from moderate to low during the second season with the exception of the highlands of north-eastern and central parts of Ethiopia, there is very high crop failure risk.