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Background Astrometeorology is an ancient science, that deals the relationship between planet position and weather events. Several Indian studies proved that Astrometeorology could be a complementary method to improve numerical weather forecast accuracy. Since 2011, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University is conducting astrometeorological research and devised a novel concept “Planet Activeness Chart”. The principle is that “planets’ influence on a location’s weather varies throughout the day and may be negative, inactive, active, highly active and rule depending on their angle to that location”. Most existing astromet studies used planetary position to predict the occurrence of weather events (yes/no) but failed to capture intensity of the event. The “Planet Activeness Concept” could address this limitation and enhance forecast usability. Methods A study was carried out from 2018 to 2021 with six years data (2011-16) to verify the “Planet activeness” on hourly rainfall and windspeed events in Tamil Nadu. The frequency of planet activeness for a weather event was calculated by dividing the number of times a planet was in the selected activeness during a specific event category by the total number of events. Results The results indicated that negative state of the Sun, active status of the Saturn, Uranus, Venus and Moon were positively associated with rainfall intensity. The windy planet Mercury and Neptune at active state, the Sun and Saturn at rule state, Venus and Uranus at negative state, Jupiter at highly active state had significant influence on the increased wind speed. Conclusion Applying the planet activeness concept with azimuth could enhance the accuracy and usability of Astrometeorological forecasts. This study establishes a mathematical relationship between planet activeness and weather as a first step to understand the science behind this relationship. It is suggested to study different combination of planet activeness during a weather event for more insights.

Adaptability and significant economic value of the neem tree are well-known, as it can flourish in a variety of environmental conditions. While the neem seed production is highly sensitive to prevailing weather conditions during the reproductive phase and flowering behaviour of the tree. A study was conducted at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore in 2023 with the primary objective of validating the weather influence on neem seed production using the logics of physiological responses, as a continuation of research conducted the previous year (2022). During the pre-flowering and flowering stages, diverse weather conditions led to notable changes in the physiological traits of neem trees, which displayed varying patterns of flowering. Trees that flowered consistently showed elevated levels of indole acetic acid (IAA) oxidase, relative water content, and nitrate reductase compared to those that lacked flowers or produced intermittently. In the flowering stage, the neem trees responded positively in terms of physiological aspects like IAA oxidase, relative water content, nitrate reductase, and exhibited lower proline levels, which can be attributed to the optimal maximum temperature, rainfall, and soil moisture. Proline levels rose during the pre-flowering stage due to soil moisture deficits but fell during the flowering stage with the onset of rain. These physiological changes, driven by climatic factors, are likely to enhance the flowering, fruiting, and overall yield of neem trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change has increased the events and intensity of extreme events. Tamil Nadu is located in the southern peninsula region of India, which has benefitted both from the south-west monsoon (SWM) and the north-east monsoon (NEM). Although variations in the monsoon pattern increased events of drought. The IMD gridded (1991–2020) and projected global climate model data (EC_Earth3_Veg_LR) were used to anticipate the drought-risk-prone zones over Tamil Nadu by using the standardized precipitation index. During both the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios of the near (2021–2050) and mid (2051–2080) century periods, an increase in rainfall amount was expected with a high coefficient of variation (CV) across the region. The CVs of the future SWM and NEM seasons were expected to range from 20% to 60% and 25% to 50% respectively. Increased variability often leads to an increase in number of drought events. Regardless of scenarios, the southern zone was expected to experience more drought events, followed by the northwestern zone during SWM. Drought events during the NEM were expected to increase in northeastern zone districts. Changes in cropping patterns and policymaking for future risk-prone areas were undertaken as a proactive response to mitigate potential agricultural challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]