According to a recent research by agricultural economists and scientists at Punjab Agricultural University, climate change would cause maize and cotton yields in Punjab to decline by 13% and 11%, respectively, by 2050. (PAU). About 12% of the nation’s total cereal production is generated in Punjab. The impact of climate change on five important crops — rice, maize, cotton, wheat, and potato — in the agrarian state was projected in a study that was published in the Mausam journal of the India Meteorological Department earlier this month using rainfall and temperature data gathered between 1986 and 2020.
Ludhiana, Patiala, Faridkot, Bathinda, and SBS Nagar are the five meteorological observatories operated by Punjab Agricultural University where the researchers gathered climatic data.
According to the researchers, agricultural economist Sunny Kumar, scientist Baljinder Kaur Sidana, and PhD student Smily Thakur, long-term changes in climatic variables indicate that the rise in temperature, not a change in rainfall pattern, is what is causing the majority of the alterations.“The shift in mean temperature over all growth seasons as a result of variations in minimum temperature is one of the most fascinating findings. It indicates an increasing tendency in the minimum temperature,” the research claimed.
The yield of rice, maize, and cotton is negatively impacted by a rise in the minimum temperature. Contrarily, it was discovered that a minimum temperature that is too high is good for wheat and potato productivity.
By 2080, the harmful effects would have accumulated. For maize, the yield loss will rise from 13 to 24 percent; for cotton, it will rise from 11 to 24 percent; and for rice, it will rise from 1 to 2 percent. “In 2050, the yield response for both wheat and potatoes would be essentially the same. The production of wheat and potatoes will increase by around 1% each by 2080 due to a major shift in climate,” it read.
The findings suggested that the climate-smart packages needed to be included at the policy level in the agricultural development agenda. The report recommended concentrating on establishing connections between farmers and financial institutions to increase their potential to adopt climate-smart practices and technology.