Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 18
Projecting that the climate in Punjab may become hotter and drier during the 21st century, a new study by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, has said in order to maintain sustainability of crop production and food supply, the state must evolve suitable crop contingency planning in view of the climatic changes.
“A comparison of maximum and minimum temperatures revealed that the rise in minimum temperature is more than that of in maximum temperature. This implies that the diurnal range of temperature would decrease, which is not favourable for enhancing crop production,” the study states.
During the mid-century period of 2020-2049, the maximum temperature annually is projected to increase from the baseline period by up to 1.5 degree Celsius while during the kharif and rabi seasons, it is projected to increase between 0.3 to 1.5 degree Celsius and 0 to 1.6 degree Celsius, respectively, the researchers said.
On the other hand, annual decrease in rain is projected to decrease between 33 to 554 mm from the baseline period. During the kharif and rabi seasons, the decrease is expected to be between 20 to 443 mm and 20 to 110 mm, respectively.
Climate change: PAU study warns of hotter, drier days in region
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