'Climate change of serious global concern' |
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/Climate-change-of-serious-global-concern/articleshow/7439357.cms
LUDHIANA: Climate change is a serious global issue of great concern to different countries. So said Dr Manjit Singh Kang, PAU vice-chancellor, on the opening day of a three-day international conference on 'Preparing Agriculture for Climate Change' at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Sunday.
'Green revolution is a path-breaking movement and Punjab has spearheaded it for over four decades,' said Punjab Agricultural Marketing Board chairman Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, the chief guest.
Kang, who presided over the inaugural session, said in his presidential address that there are many harmful effects of global warming. He said climate change has been taking place for years. The average temperature of the earth has been on a steady rise ever since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when people began burning fossil fuels for energy. In India, while the wheat crop is vulnerable to an increase in maximum temperature, the rice crop is sensitive to an increase in minimum temperature.
Acute water shortage, combined with temperature stress, negatively affects both wheat and rice productivity in north-west India, said Kang.
A key question for agricultural scientists, therefore, is: 'Will climate-resilient agriculture technologies mitigate the effects of climate change?' he said, adding that we need to develop a global consensus on this. Kang said eminent agricultural scientists and climatologists participating in the conference will deliberate on relevant themes including: mitigation strategies, policy and management interventions, adaptation strategies- genetic options/interventions and climate change and biodiversity- extinction and new emergence.
Lakhowal released the special issue of crop improvement and a souvenir brought out on the occasion.
After the inaugural session, the chief guest and other dignitaries visited the exhibition put up by various agencies.
Dr Daniel Hillel of Colombia University, Centre for Climate Systems Research, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York deliberated on 'Climate Change and the Sustainability of Farming Systems', Dr Dinesh Benbi, PAU discussed 'carbon dioxide and methane emission from agricultural soil: sources and mitigation potential', Dr Prem Bindraban of International Soil Reference and Information Centre, Wagningen University and Research Centre, the Netherlands, deliberated on 'Eco-efficiency in Agro-eco Systems' and Dr Tej Pratap, from SKAUST, Srinagar, gave a presentation on 'Climate Change and Mountain Agriculture: Pinching and Adapting Processes'.
In session-III (Mitigation strategies-Policy and Management Interventions), Dr Robert Norton, IPNI, Australia spoke on 'agronomic practices and input use efficiency'. The scheduled symposium lecture on climate change was delivered by Dr P K Aggarwal from International Water Management Institute, New Delhi on 'Climate Change: What it means for Indian Agriculture and National Food Security'.
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