Climate Change and Agriculture: Causes,Impacts and Interventation

This book deals with climate change impacts and interventions in Agriculture across various regions of the Country based on the research findings emanated from ICAR institutes and State Agricultural Universities as Global warming and climate change is a threat to food security. Impacts of weather extremes viz., droughts, floods, heat wave and cold waves pose immediate threat to Agriculture because of their frequent occurrence due to global warming and climate change rather than the climate change threat directly to crops. More than 60 authors are involved with 29 Chapters to focus on mitigation and adaptation strategies in Agriculture against ill effects of climate change. Research investigations indicate that crop yields are likely to decline with increase in atmospheric CO2 and temperature in ensuing decades and crop losses can be minimized through technologies generated in crop management, crop improvement and crop protection practices. Farmers concern to minimize crop losses against weather extremes rather than climate change as the impacts of climate change (increase in atmospheric CO2 and temperature) on crops at the field level is not clear if water is not a constraint. The publication includes vulnerability assessment, adaptation strategies, crop choices/combinations in different climate scenarios and preparedness to face the exigencies of climate change and emphasis is given on interventions. Of course, there is need to intensify research to generate technologies/location specific farm strategies which can withstand the impact of climate change as a long term strategy and farmers are the best to cope up with suitable strategies against global warming and climate change/climate variability to sustain rural livelihoods is very complex and complicated at the farm level.