AGROA-CUMA TIC POTENTIAL ASSESSMENT FOR CROP INTENSIFICATION IN SOUTHERN SRI LANKA - A CASE STUDY IN MATARA DISTRICT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v0i0.1329Abstract
The climatic potential in respect ~ onset, duration and magnitude of the rainfall wereassessed using the rainfall probability concepts and the climatic water balance approach.The rainfall data for 45 consecutive years (l950 - 1995) were collected from 10 stations indifferent agroclimatic regions of Matara district. The limits of 10 mrn weekly rain at 75%probability and Hargreavc's Moisture Ava.lability Index of 0.34 in weekly basis were usedto demarcate wet and dry weeks of the area.
The l' 1'10,10 and the 26')' - 36u, weeks of the calendar year arc recorded as dry weeks ill theselected regions except in Anninkanda. The duration of wet period during Yala and Mahaseasons in the selected regions differs Iron: I week to 21 weeks and it is closely relatedwith the mean annual rainfall of the regions. Among all selected regions, the longest wetperiod is recorded in Anninkanda whereas the shortest wet period is recorded inKekanadura and Dandeniya.
The onset of rain in Yala and Moho seasons falls during 91h- 20th and 34111-. 40il,meteorological weeks respectively in all the selected regions. The early onset of rain isexpected in the locations where the annual rainfall is high. The duration and magnitude ofrainfall increase from south to north and from cast to west in the district.
