Rainfall Analysis for Crop Planning in Akot Taluka of Akola District, Maharashtra, India

The study of rainfall analysis in Akot taluka in Akola district of Vidarbha region was undertaken with specific objective of finding the onset of effective monsoon (OEM), withdrawal of effective monsoon and dry spells in Akot taluka. The daily rainfall data of 18 years (1998 to 2015) at Akot was used for this study. The seasonal rainfall of Akot taluka ranges from 408 to 1271.5 mm with 29 percent of coefficient of variation. The mean dates of onset and withdrawal of effective monsoon was 25th June and 28th September. The critical dry spells (CDS) in Akot taluka varies from 1 to 3 in number with an average of 2 CDS. The average date of starting of CDS was 20th June, 16th July, 16th August and 14th September respectively in different monsoon months. The study of onset and withdrawal of effective monsoon as well as critical dry spell is useful for selection of suitable crops, crop planning and deciding contingent measures to be undertaken during dry spell.