A computer-implemented method for controlling an irrigation system or protection mechanism for an agricultural production area, the method comprising performing by a processor the steps of: determining a correlation between historical wide-area meteorological gridded prediction data and historical local-area sensor data at a sensor location based on historical wide-area meteorological gridded prediction data for multiple meteorological parameters made at a first point in time for a second point in time and historical local-area sensor data captured at the second point in time at the sensor location, the sensor data comprising multiple sensor data parameters and the correlation being determined for each one of the multiple sensor data parameters between (i) multiple meteorological parameters and (ii) that one of the multiple sensor data parameters; receiving present wide-area meteorological gridded prediction data for the multiple meteorological parameters for a future point in time; calculating at a present point in time a prediction on the local-area sensor data for each of the multiple sensor data parameters for the future point in time based on the present wide-area meteorological gridded prediction data for the multiple meteorological parameters for the future point in time, and the correlation between the multiple meteorological parameters and that one of the multiple sensor parameters at the sensor location; calculating a prediction for an agricultural parameter using a predetermined relationship between the prediction of the local-area sensor data and the agricultural parameter; and controlling the irrigation system or protection mechanism based on the prediction on the agricultural parameter. determining a correlation between historical wide-area meteorological gridded prediction data and historical local-area sensor data at a sensor location based on historical wide-area meteorological gridded prediction data for multiple meteorological parameters made at a first point in time for a second point in time and historical local-area sensor data captured at the second point in time at the sensor location, the sensor data comprising multiple sensor data parameters and the correlation being determined for each one of the multiple sensor data parameters between (i) multiple meteorological parameters and (ii) that one of the multiple sensor data parameters; receiving present wide-area meteorological gridded prediction data for the multiple meteorological parameters for a future point in time; calculating at a present point in time a prediction on the local-area sensor data for each of the multiple sensor data parameters for the future point in time based on the present wide-area meteorological gridded prediction data for the multiple meteorological parameters for the future point in time, and the correlation between the multiple meteorological parameters and that one of the multiple sensor parameters at the sensor location; the present wide-area meteorological gridded prediction data for the multiple meteorological parameters for the future point in time, and the correlation between the multiple meteorological parameters and that one of the multiple sensor parameters at the sensor location; calculating a prediction for an agricultural parameter using a predetermined relationship between the prediction of the local-area sensor data and the agricultural parameter; and controlling the irrigation system or protection mechanism based on the prediction on the agricultural parameter.