India is experiencing climate change in terms of unusual and unprecedented spells of hot weather occurring far more frequently and covering much larger areas. Global mean temperatures have risen by 0.6o C in the last century with the last decade being the warmest on record. Global environmental issues such as land degradation, loss of biodiversity, stratospheric ozone depletion along with human induced climate change have exacerbated the complicated situation. Climate change is expected to adversely impact socio-economic sectors, including water resources, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and human settlements ecological systems and human and animal health in many parts of the world.

• Under the scenario of 4o C warming, the west coast and southern India are projected to shift to new high temperature climatic regimes with significant impacts on agriculture.
• Magnitude and geographical distribution of such climate-induced changes may affect our ability to expand the food production globally by 70 per cent to feed around 9 billion mouths in 2050.

Greenhouse Gases Emissions:

• The active gases including water vapour, carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, nitrous oxide are collectively termed as the greenhouse gases.
• They warm the earth by absorbing energy and slowing the rate of energy escape to space.
• Emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have been linked with agricultural intensification.
• The majority of agricultural GHG emissions occurs at the primary production stage and is generated through the production and use of agricultural inputs, farm machinery, soil disturbance, residue management and irrigation, and the rising population of livestock.

Global Warming Impacts on Agricultural Productivity in India

• Climate change affects agriculture in a number of ways, including changes in average temperature, rainfall and climate extremes; changes in pests and diseases; change in atmospheric carbon dioxide and ground-level ozone concentrations; changes in nutritional quality of some foods and changes in sea level.
• Experimental evidences confirm possibility of reducing CH4 emissions – Specifically, changing continuously-flooded system to intermittent irrigation.
• Although some studies shows N2O emissions may increase under intermittent irrigation, the decrease in CH4 emissions is more than that compensates this effect.
• Over the past 25 years changes in temperature of 1° C or more have been observed in Northern India during the Rabi (winter) cropping season. A studies at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, show that every rise in 1° C has a potential to reduce wheat production by 4- 5 million ton in the country.
• By 2030, rice and wheat are likely to see about 6 -10 percent decreases in yields.
• Crops like potatoes, soybean, chickpea and mustard are the crops on which climate change will have a neutral or positive impact.
• Crops like soybean and chickpea are likely to benefit from higher level of CO2 in the atmosphere, a phenomenon referred to as CO2
• A lot more depends on the net sown area and the geographical location of a region where a particular crop is sown. Mustard, for example will experience and neutral-to-positive impact in Northern India especially in Punjab and Haryana, where winter temperatures are very low and 1° C rise in temperature will not have much impact on production in this region.
• However, a similar rise in temperature in eastern and Central India will have a negative
• Kharif (rainy season) crops will be affected more by rainfall variability, while Rabi (Winter) crops will be impacted more by minimum temperature.
• Similarly, legumes are going to be benefited because of elevated level of atmospheric CO2.
• Climate change will probably increase the risk of food security for poverty stricken population.

Mitigation and Adaptation Technologies:

(a) Mitigation Strategies:

1) Soil Management

• Soil Conservation:
  • Leaching, the movement of dissolved substances through the soil, issues of soil contamination, soil erosion etc. are common threats to soil conservation
  • Farmers should use contour ridges as a strategy to minimize soil erosion to encourage better root penetration and enhance moisture
  • Natural mulches moderate the soil temperatures and extreme, suppress diseases and harmful pests, and conserve the soil
• Carbon sequestration:
  • It is the process involved in carbon capture and the long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide or other forms of carbon to mitigate or defer global
  • Soil quality is closely related to soil organic matter; high soil organic matter means high potential productivity and better health of soil.
  • Soil organic matter is a key element a responsive to global warming. It improves and stabilizes the soil structure so that the soils can absorb higher amount of water.
• Crop Residue management:
  • Rice and wheat straws left in the field after combine harvesting are generally burnt by the farmers to facilitate seed bed preparation and
  • Burning of crop residues in the states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan has significantly contributed to deterioration of air
  • The government is encouraging the farmers to go in for mechanized options of Residue Management by way of providing subsidies on purchase of Machines and
  • For crop residue management, under Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization, the Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare has allocated funds to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
• Conservation agriculture (CA):
  • The CA besed system substantially reduced the production cost (upto 23 percent) but produces equal or even higher than conventional system; thereby increasing economic profitability of production
  • CA based production system also moderates the effect of high temperature and increases irrigation water productivity by 66-100 percent compared to traditional production
• Minimum Tillage:
  • While intensive soil tillage reduces soil organic matter through aerobic mineralization, low tillage and the maintenance of a permanent soil cover (through crops, crop residues or cover crops and the introduction of diversified crop rotations) increase the soil organic matter.

2)    Nutrient Management

• Balanced and efficient use of fertilizers practiced on each and every holding based on 4R principle i.e., right nutrient, right quantity, right time, right method of application is an attractive proposition.
• Use of fertilizers in conjunction with organic manures, biofertilizers etc. on the principle of integrated nutrient supply system is a right prescription to increase nutrient use efficiency, minimise use of mineral fertilizers, and reduce GHG emissions.
• Use of nitrification inhibitors will regulate nitrification and leaf color chart will ensure judicious use of N-fertilizers, increase N use efficiency and reduce N2O emission and also cut on thefertilizers cost.
• Integrated nutrient management:
  • Use of fertilizers along with Organic manures, green manures, vermin compost, biofertilizers, neem, karanj, pongamia cakes etc. color chart and nitrification inhibitors will improve nutrient use efficiency and improve the soil
  • Use of Rhizobium cultures in pulses and Azotobacter in rice wheat etc. help cutting costs on fertilizers through benefits of symbiotic and asymbiotic nitrogen
  • Many nutrient solubilizing bacteria, for example, K and Zn solubilizers are of great help. Use of phosphate solubilizing bacteria(PSB) is well known tool to solubilize natives soil
  • Sea weeds like Sagarika may play a great role to boost crop growth and also mitigate weather adversities.

3. Water Management

• Studies have shown that the threat to water scarcity is very high over central India, along the mountain ranges of Western Ghats, and in northeastern states.
• Water management assumes utmost importance as it is a key resource for sustaining life and environment.

4. Energy Management

• India is moving at a fast pace to adopt a green shift in its power sector to reduce dependence on the black fossil fuelled energy economy.
• Investments in clean energy rose by 22% in the first half of 2018, as compared to 2017.
• Half of world’s 10 largest solar parks under construction are in India.

5. Reforestation

• It is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forest and Woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through
• It is a way of rectifying or improving the quality of human life.

(b) Adapting Agriculture To Climate Change:

1. Early Warning And Information System (EWIS) can help in getting prepared for disaster management preparedness and mitigating the potential risks.
2. Selection of suitable crops and crop cultivars
3. Preference to less water and list nutrient demanding crops. Replacing the traditional crops with this climate replacing the traditional crops with this climate smart crops can help in combating the adverse effect of global warming.
4. Selection of Crops and Cultivars Tolerant to Abiotic and Biotic Stresses
5. Crop diversification – Crop diversity is a high priority adaptation measure in both irrigated and non- irrigated areas.
6. Change in Cropping Pattern And Calendar of Planting.
7. Mixed cropping/intercropping
8. Integrated Cropping System
9. The traditional knowledge and crop varieties of indigenous people and local communities could prove even more important in making agriculture adapt to climate
10. To minimize the incidence of pests and enhancing the use of pesticides, Integrated Pest Management is an ideal option.
11. All props absorb CO2 during growth and release it after harvest. The goal of agricultural carbonremoval is to use the crop and its relation to the carbon cycle to permanently sequester carbon within the This is done by selecting farming methods that return biomass to the soil and enhance the conditions in which the carbon within the plants will be reduced to its elemental nature and stored in a stable state.

Conclusion:

• Reduction in the GHG emissions from agricultural intensification should be the main thrust. The government must also adopt multiple approaches that include targeted subsidies for sustainable technologies.
• State and local governments must integrate policies and technologies that enhance farmer access to new innovations like zero tillage and irrigation, and provide more information on climate change vulnerability, mitigation and adaptation.
• Measures must be taken to increase low emission practices and use Information Communication Technology to increase awareness about sustainable agricultural practices.