Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture

Climate change has emerged as the most prominent of the global environment issues and there is a need to evaluate its impact on agriculture. Crop simulation models help greatly in this regard. Crop models such as WTGROWS, INFOCROP, ORYZA and DSSAT have been widely used for land use planning, agri-production estimates, impact of climate change and environmental impact analysis. Vulnerable regions under future scenarios of climate change and adaptation strategies (agronomic and input management) have been evolved for many important crops by using simulation techniques. One of the simple empirical techniques for evaluating the impact of future climate change is through historic analysis of the response of crops to inter-seasonal climatic variability. The impact of temperature rise is different for crops grown under variable production environments. Interactions exist for changes in temperature, carbon dioxide concentration, solar radiation and rainfall on growth and yield of crops. Adaptation strategies through the adoption of agronomic management options (such as altered date of sowing, scheduling of water and nutrients) can sustain agricultural productivity under climate change. The rapid changes in land use and land cover have to be included for impact analysis. Linking of the socioeconomic aspects needs to be strengthened.