Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is a region renowned for its diverse agro-climatic zones. At present, the economy is mainly agri-oriented and services-based. The GSDP of UT grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.53% from 2018–19 to 2023–24.
The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir is also the traditional maize growing region in the country. In Kashmir alone, maize is grown over 0.77 lakh hectares making up more than 26% of the UT’s total maize acreage. All districts in the Kashmir Valley cultivate this crop, however Baramulla has the largest area planted to maize (20.57 thousand hectares), followed by Kupwara and Budgam districts. Shopian has comparatively less land under cultivation because of the dominance of horticulture system.
The escalating impacts of climate change manifested through erratic rainfall patterns, rising temperatures, and increased frequency of extreme weather events pose significant threats to agricultural productivity and, consequently, food security in the region. Maize is largely (about 80%) grown as a rainfed crop, and is particularly vulnerable to an array of abiotic and biotic stresses. With the recent extreme climatic events happening in Jammu and Kashmir, the mountains remained dry throughout the peak of winter recording a 100% rainfall deficit in January 2024 and 87% deficit in January 2025.
The day temperatures have reached the highest recorded over the past century. Not only Srinagar, maximum temperature at many stations recorded 6-8°C (43-48F) above normal with highest maximum temperature recorded over Banihal station at 20.8°C. Srinagar on the contrary continued to be around 6.1°C warmer than Jammu. According to a study, the Kashmir region including Ladakh could heat up to ‘catastrophic levels’ by the end of the century.
By improving photosynthetic and water usage efficiency, elevated CO2 can initially enhance maize production. However, temperature increases of 2 to 4 degrees can offset or even reverse this benefit, resulting in lower yields and changed physiological processes. Projections indicate that an increase in temperature by 2 to 4°C, coupled with elevated CO₂ levels could lead to a substantial decline of about 40% in maize yields in the region rendering the smallholder farmers particularly vulnerable. This decline is attributed to accelerated phenological development, reduced grain-filling periods, and heightened susceptibility to drought and pest infestations.
Intensive and proactive efforts are needed to sustain and enhance maize yields and economic returns in the face of ever-evolving and often location/region-specific biotic and abiotic stresses, accentuated mainly by climate change. Maize is largely (about 80%) grown as a rainfed crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America and is particularly vulnerable to an array of abiotic and biotic stresses; consequently, yields are usually less than half of those under irrigated systems, the main focus for private sector investment. Rainfed maize area is projected to increase at a rate of 1.8% per year, six times the projected rate of increase of irrigated areas.
While drought negatively affects all stages of maize growth and production, the reproductive stage, particularly between tassel emergence and early grain filling, is the most sensitive to drought stress. Therefore, augmentation of maize productivity is imperative for uplifting smallholder farmers in the state. Improving crop productivity and livelihoods of smallholders under increasing climate variability will require a multi-disciplinary approach towards crop genetic improvement.
In this context, the development and adoption of climate-resilient maize varieties emerge as a pivotal strategy to mitigate these challenges and ensure sustainable food production. These varieties are bred to withstand abiotic stresses such as drought, heat, and erratic rainfall, thereby ensuring stable yields under changing climatic conditions. Scaling-out of improved varieties and farmer-participatory research to enhance adoption and utilization of improved maize varieties is a priority for contributing to food security, nutrition, income and other livelihood outcomes, fostering gender equity and youth inclusion.
Current agricultural research including development of crop varieties, needs to pay major attention to resilience towards variable weather conditions rather than tolerance to individual stress in a specific situation or crop stage. Plant breeders need to identify and deploy new genes and physiological mechanisms that contribute to climate-resilient varieties. In terms of resource allocation, temperate maize has received much more resource over time compared to tropical maize. Research and Development institutions have developed a number of varieties and input technologies for the development of maize sector of the UT.
Besides, the UT government also promotes composite seeds through State Seed Corporation. Standing on the base of a very robust germplasm collection of more than 3000 lines in Field (Corn/QPM/Pop Corn/Sweet Corn and Forage Maize), SKUAST-K an Institution of excellence has developed 27 varieties of maize suitable for cultivation at the state and National Level with inbuilt resilience to various biotic and abiotic stresses. The focus is to develop nutritionally enriched climate smart varieties and technologies utilizing the collaborative approach involving disciplines like Plant Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology and so on.
The challenges posed by climate change to agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir are formidable, but not insurmountable. Embracing climate-resilient maize cultivation stands as a proactive measure to safeguard food security in the region. Through concerted efforts in research, farmer support, and policy implementation, Kashmir can build a resilient agricultural system capable of withstanding climatic adversities and ensuring the well-being of its populace.
( The Author is Associated with Dry land Agriculture Research station KD Farm, Old air Port Complex Rangreth. Feedback: zahoor[email protected])