Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Uttar Pradesh ranks third in fruit production among different states of
the country with an area of 3.248 lakhs ha and production of 53.68 lakhs
MT. There has been 7% and 15.2% increase in area under fruits in the state
when compared with 1991-1992 and 2005-2006, respectively. Similarly,
there has been 119% increase in fruit production when compared with
1991-1992 and 71.1% when compared with 2005-2006. Uttar Pradesh ac-
counts for 23.9% of mango produced by the country and represent the ma-
jor livelihood crop in both eastern and the western parts of the state. East-
ern U.P. where small and big rivers exist, is a chronically flood prone area,
it has now been witnessing flash floods and instances of water logging in
mango orchards have become frequent which can affect soil properties
and nutrient dynamics besides pests and diseases dynamics. Prolonged
drought, floods and hailstorms and decline in annual rainfall has become
a regular feature over the last 3-4 years in the state. In some regions of
U.P. drought has become recurrent. This is manifested by, low and un-
timely rainfall, increased temperatures leading to enhanced rate of vapor-
ization, depletion of soil moisture arisingdue to reduced carrying capacity
of water in the soil. Duration of cold has also increased as it happened in
2012-2013 season, though its impact is yet to become discernible is also
a case of uncertain weather dynamics. The mango belt of U.P. has been
undergoing all these weather uncertainties the long-term effects of which
needs delineation (Ravishankar et al., 2011). The short-term effects viz.,
disturbances to the phenophases, pests and diseases dynamics, delayed
flowering (2013 fruiting season). Henceforth, analysis of extremism of
weather components at farm scale is of great importance and the need for
weather based agroadvisory forecasting system to sensitize the orchardists
for adoption of appropriate strategies to avoid biotic and abiotic stresses in
fruit production is increasingly felt (Adak et al., 2012).
5.2
WEATHER VARIABLESAND GROWTH CORRELATIONS
5.2.1 TEMPERATURE
5.2.1.1
VEGETATIVE GROWTH
The optimum temperature for tree growth has been reported to be 24-
30 °C (Bruce Schaffer et al.
,
1994); though it can tolerate air temperatures
