Vulnerability Assessment for Sub Temperate Fruit Crops under Changing Climatic Conditions in North Western Himalayan Region

Climate change and its variability are posing the major challenges influencing the performance of agriculture including annual and perennial horticulture crops. Reduction in production of fruits is likely to be caused by short growing period, which will have negative impact on growth and development particularly due to terminal heat stress and decreased water availability. Hence, crop-based adaptation strategies are needed keeping in view the nature of crop, its sensitivity level and the agro-ecological region. The present investigation was conducted for major sub temperate fruit crops such as apricot, peach and plum in Himachal Pradesh. The investigation was carried out at different altitudinal gradients in fruit growing pockets of Solan district the state. The study was conducted to work out the relationship of weather parameters with phenological stages of major fruit crops and assessment of their vulnerability to climate change under selected altitudinal gradients. The average maximum and minimum temperature showed an increase since last thirty years at all major fruit growing areas, whereas, annual rainfall revealed an erratic trend. The fruit growing areas at 1000-1200 m amsl of Solan district obtained highest score (0.56) and were most vulnerable for stone fruit crops production while those at 1400-1600 m above mean sea level (amsl) were least vulnerable amongst the selected altitudes. To cope with climatic changes farmers have adopted various adaptation and mitigation strategies such as improved water conservation techniques, varietal shifts and crop diversification with other fruits like kiwi, pomegranate and vegetables in the region.