Concomitance of agriculture in changing climate Joshi Ak, Brahmi Mk*,#, Gupta Bk**, Kumar Pramod*** Regional Horticultural Research and Training Station (YSPUHF), Dhaulakuan, Sirmour, 173031, Himachal Pradesh, India *Department of Environmental Science, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, 173230, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India **Department of Plant Pathology, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, 173230, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India ***Department of Fruit Science, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, 173230, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India #Email for correspondence: mkbrrahmi@gmail.com
Online published on 27 April, 2018. Abstract Climate change is a change in the state of the climate that can be identified by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer as per Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Climate change may be due to natural internal processes or external forces or due to persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land use ie more or fewer extreme weather events. The IPCC predicts that temperature will rise by 2.7–4.3°C over India by the 2080s. An increase in rainfall is also predicted over the Indian sub-continent by 6–8 per cent and that the sea level would rise by 88 centimeters by 2100. Climate signals observed over India in the last 100 years show an increasing trend in surface temperature by 0.3°C. General rise in temperature can cause sea level rise and intrusion of salt water into coastal farmlands and stormy weather can cause strong winds leading to crop damage and soil erosion. Local weather changes can cause disruption of flowering, fruiting cycles and changes in pest profiles. Food security of India may be at risk in the future due to the threat of climate change leading to an increase in the frequency and intensity of droughts and floods thereby affecting production of small and marginal farms. Most agronomists believe that agricultural production will be mostly affected by the severity and pace of climate change not so much by gradual trends in climate. If change is gradual there may be enough time for biota adjustment. Top Keywords Concomitance, agriculture, climate change, temperature. Top |