Need for agricultural adaptation to climate

change:
-To effectively manage potential climate risks(like flood,drought
etc.) in the coming future as climate changes.
-Maintaing food security by introducing appropriate agricultural
practices to adapt to the climate change.
-Enabling farmers to cope up with the climate change thereby
preventing their
livelihood.
Adaptation Measures:
Adaptation strategies have been mainly categorized as follows:
1. Planning for climate change and variability :
It means weather forecasting and accordingly changes in
agricultural practices to overcome the adverse climate
change impact on agriculture
National Climate Change Monitoring System
Seasonal to Interannual Prediction
Decentralised Community-run Early Warning Systems

2. Crop Management:
Introducing new improved hybrid variety of crops through
biotechnology having climate resistant properties like
drought resistant, heat resistant, resistant to pest and
diseases. etc.
Altering fertilizer input rates to maintain grain or fruit quality
consistent with the prevailing climate.
Altering the location or timing of cropping activities or
implementing crop rotation etc.

 Mixed Farming: integration of crop plantation with other

activities such as livestock raising

3. Water Management:
Managing water to prevent water logging, erosion, and
nutrient leaching where rainfall increases
Sprinkler and Dripping Irrigation - support farmers to
adapt to climate change byproviding efficient use of water
supply. Particularly in areas subject to climate change
impacts such as seasonal droughts it reduces demand for
water and reduces water evaporation losses
Fog Harvesting water conservation by fog collector in
locations with frequent fog periods, such as coastal areas
where water can be harvested as fog moves inland driven
by the wind.
Rainwater Harvesting- collecting, storing and conserving
rainwater for agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions by
means of water pans, tanks, reservoirs and dams before
huge losses occur due to evaporation, runoff or
contamination.
4. Soil Management:
Slow-forming Terraces - Terraced fields are effective for
growing a wide range of crops such as rice, potatoes,
maize, olive trees, and vineyards. Terraces decrease the
rate of erosion and increases soil moisture. This is
particularly relevant in areas that depend on melting
glaciers for their water supply and where there is
uncertainty about future rainfall patterns, for example
in Andean highland areas.
Conservation Tillage- It includes strategies and
techniques for establishing crops in a previous crops
residues, which are purposely left on the soil surface
.Conservation tillage practices typically leave about

one-third of crop residue on the soil surface .This slows

water movement, which reduces the amount of soil
erosion. Conservation tillage is suitable for a range of
crops including grains, vegetables, root crops, sugar
cane, cassava, fruit and vines.
5. Capacity Building and Stakeholder Organisation
Farmer Field Schools
Community Extension Agents
Forest User Groups
Water User Associations

Reference:
Adapting agriculture to climate change
S. Mark Howden * , , Jean-Franois Soussana , Francesco N. Tubiello , , Netra
Chhetri ,Michael Dunlop *, and Holger Meinke **
Author AffiliationsEdited by William Easterling, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA,
and accepted by the Editorial Board August 16, 2007 (received for review March 1, 2007)