Weather-based Agro-Advisories Application

An integrated web application providing weather forecasts, crop-specific advisories and livestock care recommendations to support data-driven decision making in agriculture.

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Contents

1. Overview
2. Objectives
3. Problem Statement
4. Major Challenges
5. SDG Alignment
6. Technical Details
7. Key Features
8. UI Design Architecture
9. Installation
10. Usage
11. Testing
12. Authors
13. Acknowledgements
14. References

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Overview

The Weather-based Agro-Advisories application delivers timely, location-specific weather information—including rainfall, temperature, humidity and wind speed—and provides tailored advisories for crops and livestock. It integrates impact-based forecasting and warning services, empowering farmers to make informed decisions and mitigate risks.

Objectives

• Enhance agricultural resilience through precision advisories.
• Integrate advanced, impact-based weather forecasting.
• Improve resource optimisation and risk mitigation.
• Provide an intuitive web-based platform for end users.

Problem Statement

Unpredictable weather and lack of tailored advisory services expose farmers to crop failure and livestock health issues. Existing solutions are often generic, leading to inefficiencies and economic losses.

Major Challenges

1. Limited Precise Advisories. Generic forecasts insufficient for specific regions, crops and livestock.
2. Delayed Warnings. Absence of impact-based alerts hampers timely action.
3. Data Complexity. Farmers struggle with interpreting raw meteorological data.
4. Connectivity Constraints. Rural areas often have poor internet access.
5. Holistic Management. Lack of integrated livestock care advisories.

SDG Alignment

Goal	Alignment Point
SDG 2: Zero Hunger	Promotes sustainable agriculture and improved nutrition through precise advisories, reducing crop and livestock losses.
SDG 13: Climate Action	Empowers communities to adapt to climate variability with impact-based warnings and data-driven practices.

Technical Details

• Frontend: HTML5, Tailwind CSS, JavaScript
• Backend: PHP, MySQL
• APIs: OpenWeatherMap for meteorological data
• Database Schema:
  • Database: agradata
  • Table: mastertable (ID, State, District, Language, fileName, folderPath)

Key Features

• Real-time current weather and 5‑day forecast.
• Region- and crop-specific advisories.
• Livestock care recommendations.
• Impact-based forecasting and alerting.
• PDF view and download of advisory reports.
• Admin dashboard for data upload and user management.

UI Design Architecture

Wireframes and UI flow diagrams are available in the docs/ui directory. Highlights include:

• Search Interface: City or district lookup.
• Advisory Dashboard: Interactive forecast cards and PDF viewers.
• Admin Panel: Secure upload of advisory documents and data management.

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/DebarjunChakraborty/WeatherAdvisory_Dec2023.git
   cd WeatherAdvisory_Dec2023

2. Configure database

   • Create agradata in MySQL.
   • Import schema/mastertable.sql.

3. Set environment

   • Copy .env.example to .env and update credentials.
   • Obtain an API key from OpenWeatherMap and add to .env.

4. Install dependencies

   composer install
   npm install

5. Serve application

   php -S localhost:8000 -t public

Usage

• Farmers & Extension Workers: Access via browser, enter location to retrieve advisories.
• Admins: Login to upload/adapt crop and livestock advisory PDFs.

Testing

Automated tests were executed using Selenium IDE to validate:

1. Login flows (admin and user).
2. Forecast retrieval and display.
3. PDF view/download operations.
4. Impact-based alert generation.

Authors

• Debarjun Chakraborty

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Reliance Foundation for the internship opportunity and guidance.

References

• OpenWeatherMap API: https://openweathermap.org/api
• Tailwind CSS: https://tailwindcss.com/
• Selenium IDE: https://www.selenium.dev/selenium-ide/