Tropical rainfall conditions in rainfed agriculture in Carabobo, Venezuela

Abstract

Variability and climate change are having a strong impact on different meteorological variables; inducing changes in the precipitation pattern that directly affects water availability in agroecosystems. It is for this reason that the objective of this work was to analyze the interannual variability of tropical rainfall and its in?uence on rainfed agriculture of the Lake of Valencia basin in Venezuela. For this, the monthly and annual precipitation data (1969-1999) of eight climatological stations were used. Subsequently, the basic descriptive statistics were calculated, the evolution of the precipitation was described and ?nally, it was calculated from the P90% -10% percentile range as an indicator of the variation of the series amplitude. The results establish that there are changes in the interannual precipitation regime and, after analyzing trends in annual precipitation in Yuma Caserio, Colonia El Trompillo, Agua Blanca and Las Dos Bocas, there is a generalized reduction in rainfall, would negatively affect the generation and availability of moisture in agricultural locations, which depend heavily on rainwater. The agricultural vocation in the lowlands of the lake basin of Valencia makes it very vulnerable to persistent dry episodes, where rainfed crops such as industrial sorghum, maize, vegetables, fruits (musáceas) and citrus fruits diminish their yield during the absence prolonged rainfall, affecting the agricultural sector of the region.