Impact Assessment of Climate Variability and Climate Change on Crop Water Productivity of Wheat at Selected Indian and Australian Locations: A Crop Growth Simulation Approach

There is evidence of climate variability and rapid climate change in recent past, which adversely impacted on agricultural productivity and water resource utilisation throughout the world. Negative impact is more common than positive one. Literature confirmed that both India and Australia faced change in climatic parameters during last century, resulting changes in yield and water productivity of crops including wheat, a major cereal for both the country. The expected condition of climatic parameters and phenomenon are likely to change at a very faster rate under different greenhouse gas emission scenarios. According to IPCC 5th assessment report (2014), global mean surface temperature at the end of 21st century is likely to increase by 0.3 °C to 4.8 °C under different Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. Expected rainfall amount will vary season and location wise. The expected carbon dioxide concentration will increase to the tune of 430 to 860 ppm during the end of this century. Under such situation, this research emphasized to assess the historical and forthcoming (2021-95) change in climatic parameters (temperatures, rainfall, solar radiation) and their influence on yield and water use pattern of wheat in selected locations over India (Jalpaiguri, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum and South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal state) and Australia (Dalby in Queensland; Junee, Trangie in New South Wales; Esperance, Jerramungup in Western Australia).