In The Face Of Extreme Weather Events, Indian Farmers Tread A Fine Line

According to Vinod Kumar Singh, an agricultural expert at ICAR, agriculture is among the sectors most vulnerable to climate change in India. He said that rising temperatures in northern India and increasing uncertainty in monsoon rainfall during the kharif season will pose major challenges to agricultural production in the coming years.

Amid rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, droughts, and floods across different states, merely increasing production will no longer be sufficient. Sustainable agricultural development will require the conservation of soil, water, and the environment.

Data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) indicate that temperatures in several parts of the country have risen by 3°C to 8°C above normal, while nearly 70% of India's geographical area has experienced heatwave-like conditions.

These developments are adversely affecting crop yields, water availability, and soil health.

Tech To Drive Future Farming

Agricultural expert Suvarna Sukumar has said that digital technologies will play a defining role in the future of farming. GPS, drones, satellite imagery, sensor-based systems, and artificial intelligence (AI) will enable farmers to receive real-time information on soil moisture, crop health, fertiliser requirements, and irrigation scheduling.

Drones will increasingly be used for crop monitoring, pest management, and precision application of fertilisers and pesticides. In addition, drip irrigation, sprinkler systems, rainwater harvesting, farm ponds, and micro-irrigation are among the most effective methods for conserving water.

Wheat Tops Climate Research

C.A. Babaria, agricultural scientist at Junagadh Agricultural University in Gujarat, told The Secretariat that climate change has affected wheat productivity across several states, but scientific interventions have made it possible to address many of these challenges.

Wheat cultivation is increasingly facing rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and water scarcity. These conditions adversely affect critical crop growth stages, including germination, early vegetative growth, jointing, booting, flowering, grain filling, and maturity. Through the development of stress-tolerant varieties, timely sowing, efficient irrigation systems and balanced nutrient management, significant improvements have been achieved.

According to Babaria, climate-resilient agriculture will not only improve farmers' incomes, but will also contribute significantly to reducing carbon emissions, conserving soil and water resources, strengthening food security, and achieving broader environmental sustainability goals.

Integrated Farming Gains Priority

Speaking on the occasion of ICAR Foundation Day, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said that ICAR has developed 386 improved varieties across 44 crops during the past year. Most of these are climate-resilient varieties, while the remaining are biofortified varieties.

Under the Integrated Farming System recommended by ICAR, farming activities such as crop cultivation, dairy farming, livestock rearing, horticulture, fisheries, poultry, and vermicomposting are integrated to optimise the use of available resources and create multiple income streams.