February 7, 2011

India's wheat producing states vulnerable to changing weather

India's Punjab Agricultural University held an inauguration of an International Conference on 'Preparing Agriculture for Climate Change' with its Vice-Chancellor Dr. Manjit Singh Kang highlighting a grim outlook of its future on Sunday (Feb 6).

"Global warming will affect the scheduling of the cropping season as well as the duration of the growing period of crops in Asia. In India, while the wheat crop is vulnerable to an increase in maximum temperature, the rice crop will also be not spared. Acute water shortage combined with temperature stress should negatively affect both wheat and rice productivity in north-west India," said Dr. Kang.

He added that the attack of diseases and pests on crops will be harsh, thereby lowering crop quality and production. Giving example of vector-borne diseases, the Vice-Chancellor said that malaria is spreading as the climate shift causes mosquito vectors to move to new areas and other diseases that we may have thought were eradicated.