INSIGHTS, THREATS AND RESPONSES TO CLIMATE CHANGE: SUGARCANE FARMERS EXPERIENCE IN TAMIL NADU, INDIA

G. RAMASAMY¹*, G. VELLINGIRI², S. PANNEERSELVAM^3
1Agro Climate Research Centre, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu, India
²Directorate of Crop Management, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu, India
³Water Technology Centre, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu, India
* Corresponding Author : gowtham.acrc@gmail.com

Received : 02-05-2019     Accepted : 26-05-2019     Published : 30-05-2019
Volume : 11     Issue : 10       Pages : 8532 - 8535
Int J Agr Sci 11.10 (2019):8532-8535

Keywords : Climate change, Sugarcane growers, Insights, Threats, Adaptation strategies
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to alliance of Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Bannari Amman Sugars (BAS) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for providing the financial support for this research. Authors are thankful to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu, India.
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

Sugarcane area is shrinking in Tamil Nadu due to rainfall variability. Future climate projections indicate more extreme weather events; hence, potential adaptation strategies need to be developed to sustain sugar production. To understand the sugarcane farmer’s insight, challenges and response to climate change, a survey was conducted with 410 farmers in Sathyamangalam, Villupuram and Thiruvannamalai regions that supply sugarcane to Bannari Amman Sugar mills. Study revealed that 38% of respondents are well aware of climate change. About 96.1% of the respondents reported continuous increase in temperature and consecutive drought for 2–3 years, that resulted in increased irrigation requirement and decline in sugarcane yield. To manage the climatic variability, creating more water sources, developing drought and disease resilient cultivars with high yield potential, popularizing climate resilient agro-techniques including Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative, increasing area under drip fertigation, making crop insurance as mandatory and increasing the effectiveness of climate services are recommended.

1. IPCC. (2007) Climate Change, Parry M.L., Canziani O.F., Palutikof J.P., van der Linden P.J. and Hanson C.E. Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 976.
2. IPCC. (2001) Climate Change, McCarthy J.J., Canziani O.F., Leary N.A., Dokken D.J.and White K.S. Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1042.
3. Smit B. and Skinner M.W. (2002) Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 7(1), 85-114.
4. Narwade A.V., Bhagat K., Patil D.V., Singh Y., Kumari A., Yogesh G.B., Harish S.H. and Singh C. (2014) Abiotic stress responses in sugarcane, 419-446.
5. Weber E.U. (2010) Climate Change, 1, 332–342.
6. Balachandran S., Asokan R. and Sridharan S. (2006) Journal of Earth System Science, 115(3), 349–362.
7. Annamalai H., Hamilton K. and Sperber K.R. (2007) Journal of Climate, 20, 1071–1092.