Air pollution effect of O3 on crop yield in rural India

Measurements of ozone and its precursor nitrogen dioxide and crop yield losses due to cumulative ozone exposures over 40 ppb (AOT40) in rural coastal southern India

“…Table 4 The stomatal conductance is higher in hot and humid environments in Asia, particularly in India poses more damage to crops due to O 3 exposure than in hot and dry environments in some (Emberson et al 2003). The estimated crop yield losses by 1.1-15.6 % using AOT40 index due to O 3 damage at Nagercoil similar to other locations in India and Asia (Wahid 2006;Rai et al 2007;Debaje et al 2010 The NO 2 is increasing at the rate of 8.6 % year −1 at Nagercoil due to growth of automobiles sector, where no restrictive measures on emissions of O 3 precursors (particularly NO x ) were assumed to be implemented. The elevated O 3 concentration in future has direct negative effects on crops yield production threatening the food security in India.…”

“…Similarly, Ohara et al (2007) reported that the NO x Asian emissions increased by 3 times in the year 1980-2003 with highest increase in China followed by in India. The information on O 3 measurements is limited in India; the available studies have suggested that O 3 concentrations can reach potentially damaging levels of crops (Mittal et al 2007;Engardt 2008;Debaje et al 2010). Model studies by Mittal et al (2007) and Engardt (2008) have shown that the daytime monthly mean of O 3 concentration ranges between 30 ppb and 45 ppb for the year 2000 over the Indian region and exceeds AOT40 index critical limit of 3 ppm h of 3-months growing period of agriculture crops responsible for 5 % crops yield losses by O 3 damage.…”

“…Model studies by Mittal et al (2007) and Engardt (2008) have shown that the daytime monthly mean of O 3 concentration ranges between 30 ppb and 45 ppb for the year 2000 over the Indian region and exceeds AOT40 index critical limit of 3 ppm h of 3-months growing period of agriculture crops responsible for 5 % crops yield losses by O 3 damage. Further, Debaje et al (2010) estimated that the winter wheat and summer crops yield losses by 10 % and 15 %, respectively using AOT40 index from present measured O 3 pollution level in the rural India. Emberson et al (2009) reported that crops respond differently to O 3 exposure in Asia (India in particular) than in USA and Europe underestimating crop yield losses occur at the present O 3 concentration.…”

Breeding of ozone resistant rice: Relevance, approaches and challenges

“…Surface measurements in urban, semi-urban and rural sites in western India confirmed that the onset of the monsoon led to general decreases in tropospheric ozone levels and an almost complete offset of diurnal ozone patterns, while the highest pollution levels were seen in late winter and spring, i.e. February to April (Beig et al, 2007;Debaje et al, 2010;Naja and Lal, 1996). Ship-based measurement over the Bay of Bengal indicated sudden increases of ozone concentrations in the post-monsoon period from October to November (Mallik et al, 2013).…”

Variations in surface ozone and NOx at Kannur: a tropical, coastal site in India

“…Rising consumption of fossil fuels have resulted in increased emission of trace gases into the atmosphere, some of which are ozone precursors (nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH 4), non methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) etc.). Consequently, surface O 3 in the atmosphere has become one of the prevalent air pollutants that harm the human health and ecosystem (Selin et al 2009;Debaje et al 2010;Avnery et al 2011). It is considered to be a major precursor of reactive hydroxyl (OH) radicals, which determine the lifetime of many species in the atmosphere (IPCC 2007).…”