Hyderabad: A prolonged heat wave has been sweeping through the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and other parts of the country. The rising temperatures could have a much broader consequences.
Scientists say that the rising minimum and maximum temperatures is likely to harm agriculture, reducing the output of crops like rice and wheat.
Though increasing temperatures are debatably attributed to global warming, it could spell disaster for food security.
The IMD has said that the heat wave will continue for a few more days.
Average temperatures have been rising over the last few decades. Whether it can be attributed to global warming or not is the centre of a huge debate but rising average and maximum temperatures could adversely affect agriculture and crop yields, thereby even threatening food security.
Scientists from the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) said that crop yields are going down with rising temperatures.
Experts say the rise in average minimum temperature is as much as one degree Celsius over the last three or four decades. Meteorologists say the rise in average temperature has been two to three degree Celsius in the last few weeks.
Scientists said decline in kharif paddy yield could be from 411 to 859 kilograms per hectare with every degree Celsius of rise in temperature.
Dr. B. Bapuji Rao, Principal Scientist, CRIDA, said, “Dropping yields with rising temperatures have been observed in previous studies done in a controlled environment. It is difficult to create a controlled environment but correlating data on temperature and crop yield has shown declining trends.”
Researcher have been stressing on heat resistant and high yielding crop varieties and experts say higher temperatures could affect food security.
