Investigating trend of rainfall pattern in Malawi and its implication for maize Yield

Trends in rainfall at annual seasonal, monthly and daily time scale were analyzed for a period of 40 years for 8 stations across Malawi, one from each ADD. The analysis was done to be establish an understanding of the variations in rainfall, which can assist stakeholders in agriculture and food security in the country to make informed decisions to avert any possible decline in maize yield resulting from variations of rainfall. Some trends were detected in 4 of the 8 stations. Decreasing trends in annual and seasonal rainfall were detected in Karonga. there is also decreasing trend in length of the rainy season in Laronga caused by late onset of rain and ealier cessation of the rains. Increasing trends in annual maximum daily rainfall were observed in Kisungu and Mangochi. The maize crop experiences water shortages in some of the years more specifically in Shire Valley ADD, where the crop experiences water stress for almost a very season. Significant relationship between rainfall amount and maize yield exist in areas where the serious water shortages due to low rainfall. In most parts of Malawi, there is adequate rainfall most of the seasons to satisfy the maize crop water demand. The problem is these areas is probably the temporal distribution of seasonal rainfall and not the cumulative total and as a result the maize yield tend to be sensitive variations in dry conditions such as length of dry spells.