Punjab’s cotton, maize yield to dip by 11-13% by 2050, says report

An increase in minimal temperature is dangerous to the yield of rice, maize, and cotton.
| Photograph Credit score: The Hindu

Local weather change is predicted to scale back maize and cotton yield in Punjab by 13% and 11% by 2050, in line with a brand new research carried out by agriculture economists and scientists at Punjab Agricultural College (PAU).

Punjab accounts for round 12% of the whole cereals produced within the nation.

The research revealed within the Mausam journal of the India Meteorological Division earlier this month used rainfall and temperature knowledge collected between 1986 and 2020 to undertaking the impression of local weather change on 5 main crops — rice, maize, cotton, wheat, and potato — within the agrarian state.

The researchers collected local weather knowledge from 5 climate observatories of Punjab Agricultural College, ie Ludhiana, Patiala, Faridkot, Bathinda, and SBS Nagar.

The researchers — agricultural economist Sunny Kumar, scientist Baljinder Kaur Sidana and PhD scholar Smily Thakur — stated that long-term modifications in climatic variables present that the rise in temperature is driving a lot of the modifications, somewhat than the change in rainfall sample.

“One of the most intriguing findings is that changes in minimum temperature have resulted in changes in mean temperature throughout all growing seasons. It means that the minimum temperature has shown a rising trend,” the report stated.

An increase in minimal temperature is dangerous to the yield of rice, maize, and cotton. Quite the opposite, extra minimal temperature is helpful for potato and wheat yield, it famous.

“The climate impacts on crops will vary widely in kharif and rabi seasons. Among the kharif crops, maize yield is the most responsive to temperature and rainfall than rice and cotton. By the year 2050, maize yield would reduce by 13% followed by cotton (about 11%) and rice (about 1%),” the report learn.

The damaging impression would accumulate by 2080. The yield loss will enhance from 13 to 24% for maize, from 11% to 24% for cotton, and from 1% to 2% for rice, respectively.

“The yield response of wheat and potato would be pretty much the same for the year 2050. By the year 2080, with a significant change in climate, the yield of wheat and potato will be higher by around 1% each,” it stated.

“Our results indicate that productivity decreases with an increase in average temperature in most of the crops. The adverse impact of climate change on agricultural production indicates a food security threat to the farming community,” the researchers stated.

The findings present credence to the declare that the long run local weather state of affairs isn’t very welcoming. The outcomes indicated that the climate-smart packages have to be integrated into the agricultural improvement agenda on the coverage degree, they stated.

The research instructed specializing in linking farmers with monetary establishments to spice up their capability to adapt to climate-smart applied sciences and practices.