London: The recent rise in temperature, especially during night time, is having a negative impact on India's wheat production, according to a new study that warned of "serious implications" to the country's food security.
Geographers at the University of Southampton in the UK have found a link between increasing average temperatures in India and a reduction in wheat production. More specifically, they found a rise in night time temperatures is having the most impact.
Researchers Dr John Duncan, Dr Jadu Dash and Professor Pete Atkinson have shown that recent warmer temperatures in the country's major wheat belt are having a negative effect on crop yield.
"We are sounding an early warning to the problem, which could have serious implications in the future and so needs further investigation," he said.
The satellite imagery, of the north west Indo-Gangetic plains, was taken at a resolution of 500m squared - high enough to capture local agricultural practices, it added.
Warmer temperatures during the reproductive and grain-filling (ripening) periods had a significant negative impact on productivity and warmer minimum daily temperatures (night time temperatures) had the most significant impact on yield, the study said.
However, the researchers showed that in the long-term, this would not be an effective way of combating the problem, because of the high level of average temperature rise predicted for the future.
This underlines how crucial it is to consider what types of wheat need to be grown in the coming decades to secure production, the study said.
Geographers at the University of Southampton in the UK have found a link between increasing average temperatures in India and a reduction in wheat production. More specifically, they found a rise in night time temperatures is having the most impact.
Researchers Dr John Duncan, Dr Jadu Dash and Professor Pete Atkinson have shown that recent warmer temperatures in the country's major wheat belt are having a negative effect on crop yield.
"We are sounding an early warning to the problem, which could have serious implications in the future and so needs further investigation," he said.
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The satellite imagery, of the north west Indo-Gangetic plains, was taken at a resolution of 500m squared - high enough to capture local agricultural practices, it added.
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Warmer temperatures during the reproductive and grain-filling (ripening) periods had a significant negative impact on productivity and warmer minimum daily temperatures (night time temperatures) had the most significant impact on yield, the study said.
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However, the researchers showed that in the long-term, this would not be an effective way of combating the problem, because of the high level of average temperature rise predicted for the future.
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This underlines how crucial it is to consider what types of wheat need to be grown in the coming decades to secure production, the study said.
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