Climatology of the Crop Seasons of India_2. Wheat

Abstract

On the basis of the data collected under the All India Co-ordinated Crop Weather Scheme, the normal growth features and the yield of the wheat crop in India are discussed in relation to the climatology of the wheat crop season. The study covers 9 stations with data varying for periods from 13 to 20 years. Information is presented about the chronology and growth attributes of the crop, the average durations of the crop growth periods and the average climatic features of the crop season and their variability, separately, for each station and each of the growth periods. It is shown that while the principle of time variation with geographical co-ordinates operate in the sequence of the dates, at different stations, of sowing, flowering and harvesting of the crop, as well as the lengths of the vegetative, reproductive and total crop life periods, only the length of the vegetative period conforms to Hopkins’ Bioclimatic Law' for North America' There appears to be a negative relationship between the duration of the vegetative growth period and the maximum and minimum tempera tunes during the same period and also between the height attained by the crop and the maximum temperature during the vegetative growth period.