Rising concentration of greenhouse gases and its impact on agricultural productivity
through global warming has become an important challenge for researchers,
agriculture scientists, farmers and policy makers. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as
CO2, CH4, N2O, O3 and CFCs have increased over the past century. These greenhouse
gases can relatively alter the climate systems and the increase in their concentration
may result in global warming. Increase in aerosol (atmospheric pollutants) is the
outcome of the emissions of GHG,s, black carbon and fossil fuel burning. CFCs,
HCFCs, O3 depletion and UV-B filtered radiations, anthropogenic deforestation,
forest fires and losses of wet lands are described as the causal factors for global
warming. These GHGs induced global changes not only pose significant challenge to
agriculture but also provide opportunities to sustain agricultural productivity under
various environmental stresses. The book describes the origin, sources and sinks,
rising emissions, impact assessment on agriculture and mitigation technologies
associated for controlling the emissions of these greenhouse gases. The impact of
elevating concentration of these GHGs on agricultural crop plants is discussed and
described as the important component of this book. This book illustrates the analysis
and synthesis of the data generated by the author and the available literature on the
response of crop plants to the rising concentration of greenhouse gases. This has
helped in identifying the gaps in knowledge, data and information on impact analysis
of various crops to the anthropogenic increase in the concentration of greenhouse
gases. A greater part of this book discusses the ameliorative strategies developed in
the crops to mitigate the effect of climate change stresses. The book has also helped in
the identification of uncertainties due to climate change in predicting the future crop
productivity and various mitigation options. The information on source sink balances
of different GHGs described in the book will be useful for land use and crop
management and to develop and validate models for regional and global predictions.
This book contains knowledge, research and description of best practises, new
concepts and technologies to sustain agricultural productivity for changed climatic
conditions.
It is first book of its kind from India, providing useful information for post graduate
students of agriculture and environment sciences, research scholars, and research
scientists including the faculty. Farmers, agriculture extension workers, planners,
policy makers and administrators will also be benefited by reading/consulting this
book. (Book from Publishing India Group). For purchase enquiries, email: info@publishingindia.com or call at 09899775880; 09212715375
Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A Real-World Look, present...
Green House Gases and Crops by D C Uprety
1. GREEN HOUSE GASES & CROPS
(2014)
Author: D.C. Uprety
ISBN: 978-81-928337-0-5
India Price: Rs. 900
Foreign Price: USD 90
Publisher: Publishing India Group
Publisher Email: info@publishingindia.com
Brief About the Book
Rising concentration of greenhouse gases and its impact on agricultural productivity
through global warming has become an important challenge for researchers,
agriculture scientists, farmers and policy makers. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as
CO2, CH4, N2O, O3 and CFCs have increased over the past century. These greenhouse
gases can relatively alter the climate systems and the increase in their concentration
may result in global warming. Increase in aerosol (atmospheric pollutants) is the
outcome of the emissions of GHG,s, black carbon and fossil fuel burning. CFCs,
HCFCs, O3 depletion and UV-B filtered radiations, anthropogenic deforestation,
forest fires and losses of wet lands are described as the causal factors for global
warming. These GHGs induced global changes not only pose significant challenge to
agriculture but also provide opportunities to sustain agricultural productivity under
various environmental stresses. The book describes the origin, sources and sinks,
rising emissions, impact assessment on agriculture and mitigation technologies
associated for controlling the emissions of these greenhouse gases. The impact of
elevating concentration of these GHGs on agricultural crop plants is discussed and
described as the important component of this book. This book illustrates the analysis
and synthesis of the data generated by the author and the available literature on the
response of crop plants to the rising concentration of greenhouse gases. This has
helped in identifying the gaps in knowledge, data and information on impact analysis
of various crops to the anthropogenic increase in the concentration of greenhouse
gases. A greater part of this book discusses the ameliorative strategies developed in
the crops to mitigate the effect of climate change stresses. The book has also helped in
the identification of uncertainties due to climate change in predicting the future crop
productivity and various mitigation options. The information on source sink balances
of different GHGs described in the book will be useful for land use and crop
management and to develop and validate models for regional and global predictions.
This book contains knowledge, research and description of best practises, new
concepts and technologies to sustain agricultural productivity for changed climatic
conditions.
It is first book of its kind from India, providing useful information for post graduate
students of agriculture and environment sciences, research scholars, and research
scientists including the faculty. Farmers, agriculture extension workers, planners,
policy makers and administrators will also be benefited by reading/consulting this
book.
2. green HoUse gases
and croPs
(2014)
d c UPrety
Fna sc., division of Plant Physiology,
IarI, new delhi-110012
Publishing India Group
New Delhi
4. Contents
Foreword iii
Preface v
Acknowledgement vii
Acronyms viii
1. Introduction 1
2. Carbon Dioxide 9
3. Methane 176
4. Nitrous Oxide 250
5. Chlorofluoro Carbon and UV-B Radiations 309
6. Ozone 341
7. Aerosol 404
8. Glossary of Terms 421
5. Foreword
Since the early earth’s history, the atmosphere is both the part of and a
product of biosphere. Its natural composition is chemically unstable. If
vegetations had not evolved there would be at least a thousand times
less O2 and a hundred times more CO2 in the air. Conditions than would
be unsuitable for the present forms of life. Earth’s biological processes
are also responsible for other greenhouse gases such as methane and
nitrous oxide, which play important role in global climate control and
also the thickness of the earth protective ozone layer. These greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere are needed; without them the earth’s average
temperature would be around -18°C. Unfortunately in the last 200 years
the anthropogenic activities pumped a lot of extra greenhouse gases into
the atmosphere and this had led to an enhanced greenhouse effect and
extra global warming that we are now experiencing. Since the industrial
revolution levels of CO2, CH4 N2O have all risen dramatically. Fossil
fuel combustion, increasingly intensive agriculture and an expending
human population have been the primary causes for this rapid increase.
Surface aerosols though not greenhouse gas (GHG), are not less important
to global climate. Sulphate in our atmosphere has a net cooling effect and
therefore, reduces the warming effect of the GHG to certain extent. The
increase in fossil fuel burning, which raised the concentrations of GHG
in the last 200 years have also led to an increase in sulphate emissions.
The increase in the concentration of GHGs and aerosols in our atmosphere
intern likely to lead to rapid changes in climate, sea level and may threaten
the human civilization.
Similarly, agriculture faces the challenge of nearly doubling food
production to feed a population expected to reach 9 billion by mid century
while mitigating emissions and providing a livelihood to 75% of the poor
in developing countries. Over a third of direct global emissions are due to
agriculture and other land use changes and they are projected to increase
in coming decades. However, using our existing knowledge on better
land practices and husbandry we know how to sequester C into soil and
plant biomass. Agriculture offers a root to a green and low C economy
that achieves growth. Policy makers cannot afford to neglect agricultural
emissions or the potential for C sequestration through agriculture. Ground
work is needed to develop a framework to built confidence and attract
resources.Thereisneedtocreateincentivesforfarmersincludinginsurance
credits and direct and indirect payments. Adaptation and mitigation
fundings required to be coordinated especially during implementation.
6. iv Foreword
There is a need to make research and information available for farmers
through improving extension services. Policy, program and incentives
should be harmonized at all levels to assist in implementing mitigation and
C sequestration measures that benefit farmers. Agricultural intensification
alone is not sufficient it must be sustainable and should be a part of holistic
policy package that focuses on existing agriculture, forests and degraded
lands.
There are significant knowledge gaps relating to the synergies and
tradeoff between agricultural production, climate change and sustainable
economic growth. These include understanding the impact of climate
change on agriculture, the potential of C sequestration and to improve
crop varieties for adaptation and mitigation.
This book represents a synthesis of science of greenhouse gases and
how this applied to the past, current and future changes in climate. This
also includes the physiological and biochemical approaches to understand
their impact on various crops and to identify selective cultivars which may
able to sustain their productivity counteracting the adverse influence of
these greenhouse gases. The aim of this book is to provide reader with in
depth authorative information on the impact assessment analysis of the
response of agricultural crops to these greenhouse gases. Study describes
how the source sink balance contributes to the conservation of GHG
emissions and maintenance of global temperatures and also whether we
can protect and enhance them to mitigate climate changes. The book also
provides an overview of the academic studies concerning the evaluation of
greenhouse gas mitigation strategies targeting the agricultural and forestry
sectors with focus on results related to different policy instruments and
their estimated cost and effectiveness.
Ananda Das Gupta
Professor
Indian Institute of Plantation Management
Bangalore, India
7. Preface
Global warming is most talked subject of present world because of its
anthropogenic origin caused by human influence on the environment. It is
described as increase in surface temperature due to emission of greenhouse
gases. Carbon dioxide is the predominant gas among the greenhouse gases
leads to global warming. It traps long wave radiations and emits them
back to the earth surface. CO2, which is a product of carbon oxidation
in the fossil fuel burning, is proved to be the major contributor to global
warming. Rising levels of CO2 will affect the crop productivity and
yield subject to the availability of nutrients and water supply. Various
technologies for simulating doubling CO2 concentration to study the
responses of agricultural crops and plants to the rising atmospheric CO2
have been described in detail. A detail account of the effect of elevated
level of CO2 on crop plants has been synthesized. The book also contains
the impact of elevated CO2 on physiological and biochemical processes
in crop plants. Case to case study on C3 crops (wheat, rice, soybean,
brassica), C4 crops (maize, sorghum) and the CAM plant’s responses to
elevated CO2 have been discussed. Various technologies which mitigate
the emissions of CO2 are also described.
Another important greenhouse gas namely methane along with its
origin, emission process and various mitigation technologies are described
in a separate chapter on methane. Nitrous oxide has been described on the
basis of its emission, source-sink balance and impact on climate change.
Sources, sinks impacts of ozone, CFCs and aerosol are also described in
relation to their effect on climate and agricultural productivity in separate
chapters. Various suggestions on the future research strategies, adaptation
techniques and mitigation options are given for each gas to synthesize
their impact on the food security and crop productivity and to suggest
measures to combat the impact of the climate change stresses.
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as CO2, O3, CH4, N2O and CFCs
(CFCl3 CFCl2) have increased over the past century, while future
concentrations of many of the greenhouse gases remain uncertain. The
concentrations of CO2 and N2O will likely continue their increase into
the next century. The fact that greenhouse gases can radiatively alter the
climate systems, suggests that increase in their concentration may result
in elevated global mean temperature. Increase in aerosol (atmospheric
pollutants) due to emission of greenhouse gases including black carbon
and burning of fossil fuel, CFCs, HCFCs, O3 depletion and UV-B filtered
radiations, anthropogenic deforestation, forest fires and losses of wetlands
8. vi Preface
may be the causal factors for global warming. Controlling the level of CO2
and other GHGs in the atmosphere is a rapidly growing commercial activity
that did not exist a decade ago. This new activity founded recognition that
the threat of rapid climate change is a concern for future generations
as the population and living standards of developing regions rise. The
consumptions of fossil fuel are accepted to soar by burning excessive
fossil fuel. CO2 which is presently dumped in the atmosphere is changing
the climate and threatens to uncertain food production.
The book which is first of its kind from this country should prove
useful to post-graduate students of agriculture and environment sciences,
research scholars and research scientists including the faculty. Farmers,
agricultural extension workers, planners, policy makers and administrators
will also be benefited by reading this book.
D.C. Uprety
9. Acknowledgement
Author gratefully acknowledges the support of the Department of Science
and Technology, New Delhi and Dr. S.S. Kohli, Scientist F (DST), for his
help. I also acknowledge the support of Dr. (Mrs.) Sunita Garg, Dr. M.A.A.
Khan, Mrs. Diksha Bisht and the member of NISCAIR editorial committee.
I express my deep sense of gratitude to Dr. H.S. Gupta, Director, IARI,
New Delhi, for his encouragement and guidance in writing this book. I am
thankful to Dr. R.K. Sairam, Former Head, Division of Plant Physiology
for providing me various facilities of the division and encouraging me
in completing my work. I thank my former students and staff members
of the National Fellow and Emeritus Scientist programme for their help
during my past experimental field research. I thank Ms. Saraswati for her
technical support in typing this manuscript and suggesting me for the
improvement in writing various chapters. I also express sincere thanks to
my wife Kamla, my son Pushpendra and daughter-in-law Pooja for making
me free from the household activities and encouraging me for writing this
book. I express my deep appreciation to the publishers Publishing India
Group and the team of their editorial committee for their meticulous work
in the process of publishing and printing of this book.
D. C. Uprety
