Rainfall and Rainfall Variability

From:
Department for International Development
Published
1 January 2014
Document Type:
Book Chapter
Theme:
Food and Nutrition
Authors:
Thornton, P.K.

Abstract

In Africa, where most agriculture is rainfed, crop growth is limited by water availability. Rainfall variability during a growing season generally translates into variability in crop production. While the seasonality of rainfall in the drier rangelands can play a significant role in productivity, rain-use efficiency (RUE)—the amount of biomass produced (in kilograms of dry matter per hectare) per millimeter of rainfall—also drives production.

Citation

Thornton, P.K. Rainfall and Rainfall Variability. In: Sebastien, K. (Ed). Atlas of African agriculture research and development: Revealing agriculture’s place in Africa. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington DC, USA (2014) 38-39. [DOI: 10.2499/9780896298460_17]

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2014
Contents