Climate change impact assessment and developing adaptation strategies for rice crop in western zone of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The CERES-Rice model in the Decision Support System for Agro-technology Transfer (DSSAT) was used for assessing the impact of climate change on rice and developing adaptation strategies to sustain rice production in western zone of Tamil Nadu. Model results showed that the rice yield reduction ranged from 4 -56 % with increase in temperature from 1 to 5°C respectively from the current climate under different dates of planting from 1st June to 15th July. The different sowing windows tested as adaptation strategy to climate change indicated that the change in yield from current condition under early, normal, late planting during kharif season was -21.2, -15.0 and -16.3 % respectively for 3°C increase in temperature and 650 ppm CO2 enrichment, during rabi season, it was -9.2, +10.2 and +11.0 % respectively. To manage the water crisis under changing climatic conditions, different methods of cultivation viz., transplanted rice (TRC- conventional), direct sown rice (DSR), alternate wetting and drying method (AWD), system of rice intensification (SRI) and aerobic rice cultivation (ARC) was simulated. Higher grain yield was registered under SRI with water saving of 16 and 7.8% respectively during kharif and rabi seasons.