Projecting future changes in water requirement of grain sorghum in India

Abstract

The spatial distribution and trend in rainfall and crop water requirement for sorghum during different time periods viz. baseline (1981-2010) and two future climate epochs (2021-2050 and 2051- 2080) over all major sorghum (kharif and rabi) growing regions of India was studied using climate change projections data from NorESM-1M model of the CMIP-5 in RCP4.5 scenario. A significant decreasing trend in kharif season rainfall is noticed during 2021-2050 over Madhya Pradesh. Majority of the kharif and rabi sorghum growing regions may receive more rainfall during 2051-2080. Increasing trend is projected for crop water requirement over majority of sorghum regions in both seasons with significant increase over the core growing area of rabi sorghum. Regions were identified where moisture stress is likely to be severe during kharif and rabi seasons.

Keywords

• Sorghum,
• water requirement
• irrigation requirement
• climate change
• India