Climate Resilient Plant for Seed Spices

We have seen the wrath of nature. This year the onset of winter was considerably delayed and as a result, because of changed weather, the rabi crops suffered a lot. An estimate puts the agricultural output in our country during the current Rabi is going to be 20% less. Imagine the impact that it is going to be having on the food prices. Spices are no exception. Although lack of frost should be boon to spices production, as we can expect less disease incidence but reduced cool period may affect the quality. Quality which is judged by aroma due to essential oils present in seed spices. The weather has been most unfavorable to cumin for the last three years. If the season continues as it is, then we can expect a very good crop of cumin. Unfortunately we can’t rely on the weather. It can change any time and as our past experience indicates, most damage is caused towards the end of the season when the grain formation is either going on or crop has almost matured, when unseasonal rains have created havoc to the extent that in some cases a hundred percent washout was noted. Over the years the climate has become more unpredictable, with the global warming increasing day by day, climatologists are puzzled as they are and warn of bitter times ahead. Climate change is the most important global environmental challenge facing humanity with implications for natural ecosystems, agriculture and health [1,2]. The perusal of general circulation models (GCMs) on climate change indicate that rising levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are likely to increase the global average surface temperature by 1.5-4.5 °C over the next 100 years. The difference of average temperature between the last ice age and present climate is 6 °C. This will raise sea-levels, shift climate zones pole ward, decrease soil moisture and storms. Global warming is predicted to affect agricultural production [3]. This is time we need to put our efforts together to fight; at least change the way the agriculture is happening. New climate resilient plants need to be bred. By 2050 global demand for food is going to be doubled because of the increase in population, consumption and because of the quality of life [4,5]. With the increase in quality of life the demand is going to be even more in spices, as spices add flavour and quality to the food. All this demand is to be met from the existing land resources only, with no increase in arable land, avoiding environmental degradation, maintaining the ecosystems as they are and also preventing biodiversity [6]. Spices will get even less land, as the demand for land by the major food crops particularly cereals over weigh against the spices, this is particularly true for seed spices which as such are grown on less favored lands. Even in the major crops, which had the greater attention in terms of breeding efforts and improvement, stagnation in crop yield growth rates in various regions around the world have become common place such as in rice [7,8]. Wheat and partly attributed to changes in agronomic management and climatic conditions As well as due to increasing water scarcities, and nutrient status of the soil [9]. All this prompts to rethink on how to breed better yielding genotypes for sustained production/productivity in a myriad of forces which limit the crop production. With information on the genetics becoming available and with the molecular genetics playing a greater role in crop improvement. It is imperative that an ideal plant type is designed to assist the breeder to breed high yielding and adaptive genotypes for various cultivation requirements.