Climatic fluctuations and homogenization of Northeast Brazil using precipitation data.

Before using the basic precipitation data in any agroclimatic study to assess the productivity it is important to check the data series for homogeneity. For this purpose data of 105 locations for the period 1912-1981 over northeast Brazil were used. The preliminary study indicate nonhomogeneity in the time series during 1940's at few locations. The amplitude of variation of time series when taken as 10-year moving average show quite different for different regions. It appears that this amplitude is related to time of onset of effective rains in some extent. There is also great diversity in the fluctuations. They present a great regional diversity. Some diversity. Some of the data in the low latitudes indicate presence of four cycles namely 52, 26, 13 & 6.5. years. The 52-year cycle is also evident in the case of onset of southwest Monsoon over a low latitude zone (Kerala Coast) in India. In the case of south Africa the prominent cycles are 60, 30, 15 & 10 similar situation appears to be present in the higher latitudes of northeast Brazil.

Feasibility assessment of sugarcane expansion in southwest Goiás, Brazil based on the GIS technology.

The current study approaches the sugarcane culture expansion in Southwestern Goiás, especially in Mineiros, Quirinópolis and Rio Verde counties, which represent different times and responses to this process. The current logistics structure and future prospects for sugarcane and its derivatives transportation are studied at national level with emphasis to the aforementioned micro-region. Maps showing land use and land cover in three different years were generated from Landsat TM-5 satellite images and they were used to analyze the dynamics of changes in land use and in land cover. The region is marked by strong and rapid growth in the agricultural sector and its sugar-energy industry has been expanding in recent years, although with different aspects among its counties. Since it is a promising region in this sector, due to the favorable soil and weather conditions to the crop, the region requires more investment and planning in logistics to ensure production flow and to make it stronger within domestic and foreign markets.