NEW DELHI: With the temperature rising above normal in February, the fate of wheat crops in Northwest India looks uncertain. The rising temperature may shrivel wheat pods, impacting the quality and quantity of it’s production.Wheat production in India has seen a decline in last three years. The grain at the pod filling stage needs a minimum or low temperature to help the grain take a robust shape. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), maximum temperatures in Northwest India are reportedly 2-6 °C above normal in different pockets. The minimum temperatures also rise above normal by 1-3 °C. The staple crop wheat grows over 75 per cent in Northwest India.The IMD predicted below-normal rainfall and higher temperature in February over the plains of Northwest India, which would adversely impact standing crops like wheat at flowering and grain filling stages. Crops like mustard and chickpeas may also experience early maturity.“Above normal temperatures in parts of Northwest and Central India may lead to forced maturity, sterile spikelet, and chaffy grains, reducing yields during growth stages such as flowering and grain filling in crops like wheat and barley. Mustard and chickpea may also experience early harvest,” said Debasish Jena, an agro meteorologist and research scholar G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology.He also said that vegetables like onions, garlic, and tomatoes may be affected during bulb formation or flowering, resulting in tip burning, bolting, and mismatched pollination, reducing their quality and yield.
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