Lok Sabha Question No. 905 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-07
Subject: Impact of Climate Change
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, BHARATENDRA SINGH, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 905

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 07/02/2017

## IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

905. SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

KUNWAR BHARATENDRA:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k ,oa fdlku dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  challenges  of  unknown  biotic  stress  in crops/animals due to climate change and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has taken up the matter with the State Governments for effective cooperation in the matter and if so, the details thereof and the response of the State Governments thereto;
- (c) whether the Government has extended funds to States for this purpose and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government for developing biotic stress resilient crops and breeding animals using indigenous as well as wild resources and the outcome thereof?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k ,oa fdlku dY;k.k ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h

## (SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT)

(a) Yes,  Madam.    National  Innovations  in  Climate  Resilient  Agriculture  (NICRA) launched by ICAR is in operation since 2011 in a network mode addresses the aspect of dealing  with  challenges  of  unknown  biotic  stress  through  Real  Time  Pest  Dynamics (RTPD) program having exploratory surveys and real time ICT based surveillance. The Real Time Pest Dynamic (RTPD) program is implemented in 25 locations across 11 states covering 12 Agro-climatic zones / 12 Agro ecological regions in four target crops (rice, pigeonpea, groundnut & tomato) under leadership of NCIPM, New Delhi since 2011. In addition  to  these  crops  RTPD  program  is  implemented  on  mango  under  leadership  of ICAR-RCER  covering  120  mango  orchards  in  six  different  mango  growing  belts  viz.,

Ranchi  in  Jharkhand,  Lucknow  in  Uttar  Pradesh,  Vengurla  in  Maharashtra,  Paria  in Gujarat, Sangareddy in Telangana and Bengaluru in Karnataka states.

Various AICRP centers from different State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) are the partners of the program. Attempts are being made to identify the new records of insect pests and diseases in these crops due to climate variability and change. New record of Tuta absoluta infesting  tomato  leaves,  Pyralid  fruit  borer  ( Citripestis  eutraphera) on  mango, Ghujhia Weevil, ( Tanymecus indicus) on pigeonpea and lepidopteran cut worm, ( Anarsia ephippias) on  groundnut  were  reported  from  different  regions  of  the  country.  The causative  climate  driven  factors  and  climate  variability  in  their  incidence  is  now  being emphasized.

In  poultry  increased  temperatures  due  to  climate  change  results  in  reduction  in immune system of the birds and make them susceptible to several diseases. Attempts are being  made  to  manage  this  climatically  induced  diseases  viz.,  viral  diseases  ( Ranikhet ), bacterial  diseases  ( Gumbors )  through  nutritional  management  using  phyto  chemicals, plant extracts, osmolites, organics and vitamins.

The  climate  change may  cause  increase in ambient  temperature  leading  to abundance  of  vector  and  increase  in  vector-borne  diseases  including  various  zoonotic diseases,  scarcity  of  feed  and  fodder,  clean  potable  water,  etc.  To  study  the  effect  of increased  temperature  stress  and  water  deprivation  stress  on  immune  status  of  the  both indigenous breed - Tharparkar and crossbred cattle, study was under taken in controlled thermal stress condition and also in different seasons.

In the global climate change, it is expected that there will be increase incidence of vector  and  intermediated  host.  To  generated  data  prevalence  of  various  vector  and intermediate host were also studied in five agro-climatic zones which included Western Dry,  upper  Gangetic  Plain,  Trans-Gangetic  Plain,  Central  Pleateu  &  Hills  and  Western Himalaya. Our results suggested that there were prevalence of Theileriaannulata, Fasciola & amphistomes infection was recorded infection in cattle in four out of five agro-climatic zones except Western Himalayan region. The Rhipicephalus microplus ( formerly Boophilus) tick  was  more  commonly  prevalent  ticks  than  Hyalomma  ticks  except  in western dry region where Hyalomma cases were more.

Animal  diseases  like  anthrax,  black  quarter,  foot  and  mouth  disease,  goat  pox, anaplasmosis,  theileriosis,  etc.,  are  highly  correlated  with  weather  parameters.  Bioclimatic graphs for each of the disease have been prepared along with risk maps. This will enable in development of threshold levels of climate variables on incidence of livestock diseases by developing correlation indices between climatic variables and risk factors. It is possible to predict incidence of livestock diseases at different locations.

(b) The  outputs  of  strategic  research  under  NICRA  (esp.  pest  forewarning  models) elucidated for different States have been validated and are in process of dissemination by State machinery and SAUs.

(c) Various AICRP centers from different State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) are the  partners  of  Real  Time  Pest  Dynamics  (RTPD)  program  under  NICRA.  Rs.  5

lakhs/year/centre  was  released  as  recurring  contingencies  for  the  implementation  of program under the leadership of NCIPM, New Delhi.

(d) Large numbers of germplasm lines have been collected by ICAR partner institutes throughout  the  country  under  NICRA  Project.  They  were  characterized  for  identifying resistance sources for genetic enhancement against several climatically sensitive pests and diseases  like  yellow  rust  disease  in  wheat,  blast  disease  in  rice,  yellow  mosaic  disease, powdery mildew, leaf spot in mung bean, etc.

It was found that effect of thermal stress was more pronounced on crossbred cattle as  compared  to  indigenous  cattle  when  effect  of  thermal  stress  on  innate  immune parameters of indigenous (Tharparkar) and crossbred cattle was compared. The indigenous cattle were found to be more resilient than crossbred cattle.

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