Ms. Rutuja P. Shinde will present her APS as per the details below:
Date: 18th September 2023
Time: 1000 - 1130 hrs.
Venue: AMAT Conference Room
Topic: Modeling Impacts of Climate Extremes and Farm-level Decision Making on Crop Productivity for Evidence-Based Policy Recommendations
Guide: Prof. Parmeshwar D. Udmale
RPC Members: Prof. Priya Jadhav, Prof. Karthikeyan Lanka
Abstract:
Changes in cropping patterns and crop productivity due to social-economic-environmental (SEE) factors, including climate extremes and unsustainable farm practices, pose significant challenges to Indian agriculture. Issues such as excessive fertilizer use, land degradation, reduced land holdings, climate change, pests and diseases, and productivity losses negatively impact crop productivity. Around 60% of rural districts in India are vulnerable to climate change. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of India, 69 million hectares of cropped area have been lost to hydro-meteorological extremes such as drought, excess rainfall, and floods between the years 2015-16 and 2021-22. About 77% of cropland in Maharashtra is vulnerable to climate change. According to the Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra, the state has lost 36 million hectares of crops in the last five years (2017-18 to 2022-23) due to the impact of climate extremes. These events have varied impacts on farmers, including crop yield losses, economic setbacks, and, subsequently, the food security of the nation. Changing climate is one of the factors influencing cropping patterns. Future climate change projections and crop yield simulations aid timely mitigation and adaptation to minimize losses. Crop Simulation Modeling can be a helpful tool to ensure resource use efficiency in agriculture and assess the feasibility or potential changes in existing agricultural practices, which generally leads to large-scale implications. In this background, the proposed study aims to develop a crop simulation model for selected crop/s to integrate present and future climate extremes and farm-level decision-making at identified pilot cases in Maharashtra State. The study's findings are expected to benefit researchers and policymakers to get insights into several scenario-based SEE factors affecting cropping patterns and crop productivity to recommend evidence-based policy interventions at the state level, ensuring food self-sufficiency.