Raising rice productivity and sustainability for smallholders of south Asia under changing climate

Climate change impacts on agriculture vary by region and predominately negativeon subtropics and tropics, especially where agriculture is currently marginal concerning high temperatureand moisture-deficit conditions. The mostvulnerable agricultural systems in semi-arid, and dry sub-humid regionsin the developing world, where high rainfall variability and recurrentdroughts and floods regularly disrupt food production, and poverty is pervasive, are profoundly influenced by these negative impacts. Adaptation to climate change requires both short-term and long-term strategies. In the short term, we must make use of the available technical knowhow to formulate and implement crop contingency plans to combat unusual weather conditions. In the long-term planning, however, strategic research on the development of flood, drought, and heat tolerant crop varieties, along with their conforming management is required. New Stress Tolerant Rice Varieties (STRVs) and their conforming management practices such as nursery management, establishment methods, adjusted cropping system, weed, irrigation and nutrient management can help farmers improve overall production, and better manage risks emanating from global warming. Enhancing the resilience to extreme climate events through conservation agricultural practices such as DSR, Zero tillage, un-puddled transplanting, aerobic rice cultivation help mitigating the adverse effect of climate by protecting soils and conserving water. AWD, a water-saving technology can help alleviate the global warming impact of paddy fields to one-third of the conventional water management practices. Supra-optimal temperature not only reduces the growth duration of the rice crop but also increase spikelet sterility, resulting in lower yields and lower-quality rice grain. Sowing time manipulation and selection of tolerant genotypes help mitigate the adverse effect of high temperature and rising CO₂level. Most of these technologies prove advantageous, but their usefulness and applicabilityare dependent on site and system characteristics. Besides technology, strengthening of local institutions and a suitable policy framework are required to adapt Indian agriculture to the current and future climate variability. Social protection measures aimed at enhancing the food security situation of marginal and smallholder households will improve their livelihood, being in a better position to innovate and adopt improved agricultural practices