Fluctuating temperature, unusual cloud cover a concern for crop growth: Experts

At the time when the Indian Meteorological Department has declared 2020 as the eighth warmest year in the past 121 years, experts have suggested that the night temperature

At the time when the Indian Meteorological Department has declared 2020 as the eighth warmest year in the past 121 years, experts have suggested that the night temperature in the region has risen by 1°C, while the earth is receiving an hour less sun energy.

Experts have suggested that the night temperature in the region has risen by 1°C, while the sun energy received by earth has been reduced by an hour.

The data of the past four decades shows that the region was receiving 8.30 hours of sun energy, which has been reduced to 7.30 hours.

Dr Prabhjyot Kaur Sidhu, head, department of climate change and agricultural meteorology, while discussing the global scenario, said, “This is due to the formation of cloud cover in the region. Interestingly, this cloud cover is predominantly witnessed during the kharif season, not rains. We are currently studying the pattern and looking into the reason behind this phenomenon.”

“The formation of cloud cover for an extended period is putting an adverse effect on the growth and photosynthesis of the crop,” Dr Sidhu said on the final day of a three-day training programme on “Climate Change, Impact, Assessment and Mitigation in Agriculture” at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).

The programme was jointly organised by PAU, Ludhiana, and Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), New Delhi.

Over 1,251 participants from different agricultural universities across the country, ICAR institutes, forest department, irrigation department, NGOs and overseas (Germany and the USA) had registered for the training, out of which, 580 attended the programme.

“Besides the reduction in sunshine, rainy days have also reduced and consistency of rain has dropped as well. Due to climate change, sharp and heavy rainfall is witnessed. The water received from such rain does not lead to recharging of water table,” Dr Sidhu pointed out.

Dr Sidhu said 2020 had been a year of cyclones of severe degree.

Five super cyclones, including Amphan which killed nearly 90 people in May, Nisarga in June, Gati in November and Burevi in December, had struck the coastal areas of the country, which further triggered climatic changes, she added.