AIAM
ITALIAN AGROMETEOROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

AGROMETEOROLOGY AND AGROMETEOROLOGISTS

The stream of energy radiated by the sun reaching the biosphere is the engine of the atmospheric fluid dynamics and supports with energy and information all agricultural and forestry ecosystems. In fact, agricultural performance is the result of genetically determined characteristics in combination with the environment, of which the weather and climate are the most important components acting as uncontrolled driving forces.
It is said that climate (average weather) determines what crops are grown in a region and the yields achieved depend on the actual weather during the season which affects every production management practice, from seedbed preparation to harvest. The above mentioned scenario justify the birth of agrometeorology, a science which is part of the large family of applied sciences of 20th Century. Agrometeorology is aimed to study the interactions of meteorological and hydrological factors with agriculture in a broad sense, including crops, pastures, orchards vineyards, greenhouses, cattle breeding and forestry.
United Nations Organisation is the global promoter of agrometeorology by means of FAO and World Meteorological Organisation. If agrometeorology is a science, agrometeorologists are professionals working in research, education and service and the core of their activities is to develop and to recommend practices that improve the efficiency of agricultural productions and that reduce risk of environmental damage.
The effectiveness of the dialog (exchange of information and knowledge, exchange of human and financial resources) among the three main segments (services, research and education) of agrometeorology is crucial for the maintenance and the growth of this science.

AGROMETEOROLOGY IN ITALY

Agriculture and forestry occupy large areas of Italy, a country of about 301.000 square km with an elongated shape, a complex topography, a wide latitudinal distribution (from the Alps to the core of the Mediterranean, with 9 millions square km of shores) and two great islands (Sicily and Sardinia). The consequence is an high variety of climates and consequently of cultures, from alpine and continental cultures like apple trees, corn and soybean (Northern Italy) to Mediterranean cultures like the olive and the citrus fruits. In particular, we have 150.000 square km of agricultural surface, 87.000 square km of forests and 40.000 square km of pastures. The above mentioned features justify the interest for agrometeorology in our country where all the three segments of this discipline (services, research and education) are represented: Agrometeorological services: are represented by the Central Office for Agricultural Ecology (UCEA) which is part of MIPA (Agricultural Ministry of Italy). UCEA co-ordinates regional services which are in effect in a relevant part of the 20 regions of Italy. Addresses of these structures are reported hereafter:

- Ufficio Centrale di Ecologia Agraria (ucea)

- Consorzio ITA (telerilevamento e stima rese)

- SIARL -Servizio Integrato Agrometeorologico della Regione Lazio

- Osservatorio Meteorologico ARPA Friuli V.G.

- ARPA Regione Veneto

- Servizio Agrometeo Trentino - Ist.Sperim.le S.Michele all'Adige

- Ufficio Idrografico della Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano

- Hydrographisches Amt Autonome Provinz Bozen

- Servizio Agrometeorologico della Lombardia

- Servizio Agrometeorologico della Sardegna

- Regione Piemonte

- Centro Idro-meteo regione Liguria

- Centro di Agrometeorologia Applicata Regionale per la Liguria (inclusi in SIMA)

- ARPA - Servizio Meteorologico dell'Emilia Romagna

- Lamma regione Toscana

- Servizio Agrometeo Arsia regione Toscana

- Servizio Agrometeo Assam Marche

- Centro Agrometeorologico Regionale Abruzzo

- Regione Campania

- Servizio Agrometeorologico Regione Puglia

- Centro Agrometeorologico Regionale Molise

- AG. REG. SVILUPPO E SERVIZI IN AGRICOLTURA Calabria

- AGENZIA LUCANA DI SVILUPPO E DI INNOVAZIONE IN AGRICOLTURA

- Servizio Informativo Agrometeorologico Siciliano

Agrometeorological education: rudiments of agrometeorology are given to students of secondary schools of agriculture; a systematic approach to agrometeorological teaching is carried out in some faculties of agriculture (Florence, Padova, Naples, …) where specific courses of agrometeorology where stated up some years ago.

ITALIAN AGROMETEOROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

Italian Agrometeorological Association (AIAM) was created in 1997 on the initiative of a group of scientists, professors, students, consultants and officials of agrometeorological services with the following aims:

- to promote and to bring out agrometeorology and agrometeorologists;
- to increase the contacts among agrometeorologists and the diffusion of information about this science
- to further education and training
- to promote the drawing up of operational rules and of technical normative
- to promote the contacts among research, teaching and services in agrometeorology
- to create a network with the associations and professionals working in meteorology, climatology, environment and agriculture

The special microclimates of crops, pastures and forests are the principal field of action for members of the Italian Agrometeorological Association. In fact the system plant-soil-atmosphere is the real home for agrometeorologists, an home which beauty is directly proportional to its complexity. But this system is also a field of study for many other scientists: entomologists, soil scientists, plant patologists, plant physiologists, plant genetists and so on. With these categories we have very good relationships and our objective is to improve significantly the co-operation. At this Web site we're sharing news about how plants affect air quality, climate change, or the water regime of our region and how the atmosphere in turn affects crop yields, forest growth and pest outbreaks. Read on for references to new stuff that's being written on these subjects, on coming events, on work opportunities in this fascinating field, on how get in touch with our members. Membership in AIAM supports the growth of this fascinating blend of meteorology and biology in Italy, provides you with opportunities to meet with other like souls at annual meetings and connects you with a World wide network of agricultural and forest meteorologists. It is very cheap to join!!...just 50 € for full membership. Members are encouraged to use this Web site to advertise their talents for work in agricultural and forest meteorology, or to advertise work opportunities. And we will feature your latest experiment (send us an image and a writeup) or spread the word on your latest publications.
For more information contact us at...

segreteria@agrometeorologia.it


2010 AIAM Executive Contact Points:

President: Federico Spanna
c/o Regione Piemonte - Settore Fitosanitario
via Livorno, 60
10144 Torino TO
email:federico.spanna@regione.piemonte.it

Deputy President: Francesca Ventura
Via Fanin, 44
40127 Bologna BO
email:fventura@agrsci.unibo.it

Italian Journal of Agrometeorology Editor: Simone Orlandini
Piazzale delle Cascine, 18
50144 Firenze
email: ijagrometeorology@agrometeorologia.it