Impact of global warming (1.5ºC) on the productivity of selected C3 and C4 crops across Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Over the last century, mean annual temperatures increased by ~1°C. UNFCCC has proposed to limit warming below 1.5°C relative to pre-industrial levels. A study was conducted on rice (C3 pathway) and maize (C4 pathway) over Tamil Nadu using DSSAT to understand the climate change impacts with projected temperature increase of 1.5°C.The future climate under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 indicated 1.5°C increase in temperature to happen by 2053 and 2035, respectively over Tamil Nadu.Annual rainfall deviations in RCP4.5 showed drier than current condition and RCP8.5 projected wetter SWM and drier NEM (90 % of current rainfall).Impact of 1.5°C warming on crop phenology indicated 8 days reduction in duration for rice and maize. The W UE of rice would decrease by 17 per cent at current CO2 whereas, enrichment (430 ppm) would reduce by12 per cent and rice yield is reduced by 21 per cent with 360 ppm CO2 and 430 ppm reducedby 17 per cent. There is no considerable varaition (- 5 to 1 %) in maize productivity with 1.5 ºC warming. The above results indicated that 1.5 ºC warming has more negative impacts on plants with C3 compared to C4 pathway

Keywords

• 1.5 ºC warming, global warming, climate change, IPCC