INDIAN COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

Abstract

Foreword It is well known that weather is a major factor that influences crop growth and productivity. During the rabi season in the northern and northeastern regions of the country, occurrence of cold waves due to passing western disturbances is an annual phenomenon. Under the influence of these synoptic systems, night temperatures may often go below freezing point and day time temperatures become too low, at times less than optimum during the peak winter period. In 2002-2003 rabi season, severe cold wave conditions prevailed for a prolonged period over many parts of northern and eastern India for one to two weeks at a stretch, especially during January. This was a new record in the recent decades. Agricultural crops, horticultural plantations, forest trees and livestock including fisheries were severely affected in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and North Eastern States. The damage to fruit plantations was so severe that many farmers uprooted their well-established mango and litchi trees. Quality of produce in some of the fruit species also suffered. However, there are indications that these cold wave conditions proved beneficial in providing the chilling requirements of some of the fruit species thereby improving their quality and also productivity. It is indeed gratifying to note that the Natural Resource Management Division of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has compiled information on cold wave impact on agriculture in the form of a bulletin. This will help to plan preventive and ameliorative measures to negate / moderate such effects of cold waves in future. I appreciate the authors for their timely effort. (Dr. Mangala Rai) Secretary, DARE & Director General, ICA