Climate change leaves adverse impact on wheat produce

AN UNEXPECTED change in climate has adversely affected the yield of wheat crop here in the entire eastern Uttar Pradesh this year. Agricultural scientists believe that the total yield would fall around 25 to 30 per cent than expected this year.

AN UNEXPECTED change in climate has adversely affected the yield of wheat crop here in the entire eastern Uttar Pradesh this year. Agricultural scientists believe that the total yield would fall around 25 to 30 per cent than expected this year.

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As per a survey conducted by the scientists of the Institute of Agricultural Scientists of Banaras Hindu University in various parts of eastern UP such as Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Azamgarh, Jaunpur and Ghazipur etc., the yield of wheat crop will be around 2.4 ton per hectare this year. However, these scientists were expecting the yield of wheat crop three or more than three ton per hectare.

These results were revealed by a team of agricultural experts led by Prof Ramesh Chand of Plant Pathology Department at Institute of Agricultural Sciences (BHU), which has conducted field survey of several parts of eastern UP. Prof Ramesh Chand said that a sudden rise in temperature in the month of February hit the yield of wheat crop by around 25 to 30 per cent this year.

He said that several varieties of wheat, including PBW-343, PBW-373, PBW-154, UP-2338, Malviya-234, Malviya-510, Malviya-516 and Malviya-468, were sown in various parts of East UP and it was expected that the total yield of east UP would touch three or more tonnes per hectare — more than the Gross National Wheat Production of 2.5 ton per hectare.

“It was due to sudden rise in temperature in the month of February this year that the yield would now fall down by 25 to 30 per cent and we will get around 2.4 ton wheat crop per hectare in this region,” said Prof Ramesh Chand. He said that an unexpected rise in the temperature adversely affected the photosynthesis process of wheat crop due to which the yield would now go down. He further added that if the temperature had not increased then the yield was expected to be three or more than three tonnes per hectare this year.

Prof Ramesh Chand said that the test weight of a standard yield use to be 35 to 40 gram per thousand grains but due to this unexpected change in climate the test weight of wheat crop has now gone down to 32 to 35 gram per thousand grain.