Biometeorological characterization of agro-environments under varying climatic conditions in Haryana, India

Climate being a key driver for choice of crops and farm activities in a region, delineation of homogenous climatic zones has always received thrust. The biometeorological characterization paves way for identifying potential productivity zones for various crops, livestock and related human activities. Global climate change will increase outdoor and indoor heat loads, and may impair health and productivity for millions of working people in farm sector. In most regions, climate change will decrease farm manpower efficiency and agricultural productivity, under the simple assumption of no specific adaptation.  Climate of Haryana, an agrarian province situated in North-West plain region of India is subtropical, semi arid to sub humid continental and monsoonal type which is very hot in summer and predominantly cold in winter. The annual rainfall in the province is less than 750 mm. The agro environment of the province has been classified into dry sub-humid, semi arid and arid.

For bioclimatic characterization of a region, heat index (HI) is necessary to when heat and humidity have reached the point where farm manpower is at serious risk of heat illnesses, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion or even heat stroke affecting work efficiency and farm productivity. The Heat Index is a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored with the actual air temperature whereas wind chill is the felt air temperature on exposed skin due to wind. The wind chill temperature is never higher than the air temperature, and the wind chill is undefined at the higher temps (>10 °C). In the present study, appropriate open source statistical techniques and formulae of heat indices and wind chill factors for apparent temperature calculation have been applied for bioclimatic characterization of agro-environments.  Historical meteorological data for the period 1980-2011 of provincial stations at Hisar and Karnal have been considered wherein both the stations represent Western and Eastern Agroclimatic Zones of Haryana. The interpretation of comfort indices during different time scale suggested the comfort period (HI ≤26.5⁰C) during 42 to 14 Standard Meteorological Weeks i.e. 15^th October onward until 8^th April in both the agro-environments.  As per wind chill index values, comfort environment was found both at Hisar and Karnal throughout the year exhibiting no wind chill impact on farm productivity throughout the growing seasons.

The biometeorological characterization at regional/micro scale needs to be done and should also be revisited at appropriate spatial and temporal scale more frequently since more warming trends have been projected in future. Such an exercise may not reveal a substantial change in the overall area under different climates, even than may reveal spatial shifts of bioclimatic zones, which has bigger implications for farm manpower efficiency and agricultural productivity.  Rationalized biometeorological characterization at micro/regional level will be of immense use to various stakeholders for efficient agricultural manpower use, planning, assessment of climate driven agro-biological entities including pests/diseases in humans, crops and livestock etc.