Impact of Climatic Variability and Drought on Crop Yields in Kerala

Abstract

In the present investigation, the impacts of the variability of the climatic parameters on the yields of major crops grown in the State are analyzed. In particular, the effects of rainfall variability on the water balances of the different regions in the State have been studied. Through this analysis the drought climatology of the region has been studied along with an overview of the climatic shifts involved in individual years. The relationship between weather parameters and crop yields over the State has been analyzed with case studies of two crops- coconut and paddy. Crop-weather models for forecasting coconut and paddy yields have been developed, which could be used for planning purposes