An Overview of Climate Change and Its Impact on Crop Productivity

Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time. It has a serious impact on the availability of
various resources on the earth .This change in climate is caused by natural and anthropogenic
factors. The natural being due to the periodic tidal pulls exerted by the astronomical bodies on earth’s
atmosphere and the enhanced one’s are due to Changes in the climate through past and present are
being evidenced through different approaches.Changes in the biosphere, biodiversity and natural
resources are adversely affecting human health and quality of life. Throughout the 21st century, India
is projected to experience warming above global level. India will also begin to experience more
seasonal variation in temperature with more warming in the winters than summers. Longevity of heat
waves across India has extended in recent years with warmer night temperatures and hotter days,
and this trend is expected to continue. The average temperature change is predicted to be 2.33°C-
4.78°C with a doubling in CO2 concentrations. These heat waves will lead to increased variability in
summer monsoon precipitation, which will result in drastic effects on the agriculture sector in India.
Climate models predict a gradual rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and temperature across
the globe. Local weather conditions such as rain, temperature, sunshine and wind, in combination
with locally adapted plant varieties, cropping systems, and soil conditions can maximize food
production as long as plant diseases can be controlled. The most recent report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that the average global temperature will
probably rise between 1.1 and 6.4°C by 2090–2099 as compared to 1980–1999 temperatures, with
the most likely rise being between 1.8 and 4.0°C. Climate change will also influence global
precipitation patterns, altering both the amount of precipitation received and the distribution of
precipitation over the course of an average year in many locations. With this change in climate there
will be effects on the environment, including the soil. Therefore, further study of soil-climate
interactions in a changing world is critical to addressing future food security concerns. To overcome
this we have to Increase crop diversity by inter-cropping and appropriate cropping systems/rotations/
land use; Adopt land/water conservation agriculture methods suited to varied agro-climates, balanced
use of biocides/chemicals; Increase carbon fixation in the soil by growing deep-rooted crops so as to
decrease carbon foot - print; Use water judiciously: More crop/unit of water; Use less fossil fuels; Use
more solar/wind sources of energy; Climate smart agriculture needs to be adopted for better
tomorrow.