A small dedicated Australian company has recently launched a unique Weather Moderation program in order to break eastern Australia’s drought.
Miles Research began its collaboration with providers of technology services in 2014, in order "to develop and deliver an agricultural edge by delivering moderated rainfall" into north-western Victoria’s cropping region.
A Case Study was commenced in 2016 which then ran for two whole cropping seasons, funded largely by local client farmers and some loyal supporters.
The results were astounding.
Both winter cropping seasons (2016-17 & 2017-18) produced record yields for the company’s Wimmera Target area. GrainCorp also recorded a further 5% increase within the Target area, during the second year.
It has been a difficult time however for most farmers, as drought expanded in the areas that were not covered by the Miles Research 2-year Case Study. In July 2018, it was decided to run a more public and robust "demonstrator project" and to present this unique capability to a larger audience.
The project was launched on the 4th July 2018, with the participation of an informal "observer group" who could verify rainfall outcomes. This group comprises approximately 20 private companies / farming concerns. The project’s stated objective is ambitious:
“To secure the delivery of substantial soaking rainfall, into an Australian, two-state designated target: Victoria, and New South Wales. The project will run for two calendar months and culminate in a generous 50mm(+) rainfall, across both states.”
Miles Research uses a ‘proprietary signal' to incrementally influence surface hardness of Pressure System boundary layers.
Through the dynamic modification of boundary layer hardness forward of the forecast event, spatial and temporal changes are made to atmospheric pressure systems, in relation to the project’s geographic target. This in turn forces incremental adjustments into the shape, trajectory and velocity of moving rain systems, which (naturally) travel along a corridor of least resistance.
To date the project has recorded a dramatic improvement in Victoria’s general crop health, following a noted northerly shift (of approx. 290km) in the horizontal flight-path taken by the south eastern-flowing rain patterns.
See attached data: validation data sourced independently from the Bureau of Meteorology, which demonstrates an increased rainfall into Victoria & southern NSW, compared to the forecast rainfall. ---
