IMPACT OF AIR POLLUTION ON AGRICULTURE IN ASIA

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IMPACT OF AIR POLLUTION ON AGRICULTURE IN ASIA

• Dr Madhoolika Agrawal
• Professor, Department of Botany
• Banaras Hindu University
• Varanasi 221 005
• India

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MEASURE OF EFFECTS HOW THEY
INTERRELATE?
BIOMASS GROWTH
INJURY SYMPTOMS
Height Weight Area
Number Volume
YIELD
Fruit set Weight Number Quality
PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE
CHANGES IN METABOLIC CONSTITUENTS
EXUDATES
Stem Leaf Root
ACCUMULATION OF TOXIC COMPOUNDS
GERMINATION
AIR POLLUTION EFFECTS ON PLANTS CONCEPTUAL
INTERRELATIONSHIP
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INDIRECT APPROACH
INDIRECT APPROACH
CHEMICAL PROTECTANTS
AMBIENT EXPOSURE
AIR EXCLUSION
POLLUTION LOSS ESTIMATE
DEFINE OBJECTIVE
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
EXPOSURE FACILITY
OPEN TOP CHAMBER
ARTIFICIAL EXPOSURE
SIMULATED AMBIENT EXPOSURES
CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT CHAMBER
GROWTH MODEL APPROACH
DIRECT APPROACH
CONCEPTUAL RESEARCH APPROACHES TO POLLUTION LOSS
ASSESSMENT
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Ambient air pollution effects on crops in
selected countries of Asia
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Ambient air pollution effects on selected crops
of Pakistan (Wahid, 2003)
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• OBJECTIVES
• To monitor the spatial and temporal pattern of
  gaseous air pollutants
• To assess the physiological and growth responses
  of selected crop plants to air pollution load
• To estimate the crop loss due to air pollution
• To study the role of ethylene diurea (EDU) in
  assessing ozone injury
• To use a bioindicator plant (Tobacco Bel W3) for
  assessing ozone injury

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Photosynthesis rate (µ mol CO2m-1s-1) in selected
plants grown at different sites in and around
Varanasi (Mean 1SE)
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Yield (g plant-1) in selected plants grown at
different sites in and around Varanasi (Mean
1SE)
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Energy (k cal g-1) and protein (mg g-1 dw)
contents in seeds of selected plants grown at
different sites in and around Varanasi
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PRODUCTION, ECONOMIC VALUE AND LOSS IN ECONOMIC
VALUE OF YIELD AT DIFFERENT SITES AROUND VARANASI
CITY
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CORRELATION COEFFICIENTS AND REGRESSION EQUATIONS
BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL POLLUTANTS AND YIELD OF MUNG
PLANTS
Yield (g plant-1)
Mean pollutant concentration (ppb)
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OPEN TOP CHAMBER (OTC)
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Concentration of pollutants (ppb) in filtered (F)
and non filtered (NF) chambers at a rural site
during winter
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Selected parameters of carrot plants grown in
filtered and non- filtered chambers at a rural
site
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Pollutant concentrations (ppb) and associated
leaf injury indices obtained using tobacco Bel W3
plants
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ROLE OF ETHYLENE DIUREA IN ASSESSING
O3 INJURY

• EDU EXPERIMENTS
• One set of 10 days old plants were given 600 ml
  of EDU (EDU) and another set were given equal
  amount of water (-EDU)
• Treatments were repeated at ten days interval
  till maturity.

N-2-(2-oxo-1-imidazolidinyl)ethyl--N-phenylurea
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Percent increment in yield (g plant-1) of
selected crops upon EDU treatment in ambient air
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Conclusion

• Air pollution negatively affects the yield and
  quality of crops
• Sensitivity of crops differs among species and
  cultivars
• Meteorological conditions during crop growing
  season affect the degree of negative effects on
  growth and yield of crops
• Ozone poses the greatest threat to agriculture
• Plants also differ in their response to different
  air pollutant combinations

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Recommendations

• Expand air pollutant monitoring networks into
  agricultural and forested areas
• Need to establish yield response relationships
  applicable to different environmental conditions
• Develop bioindicator protocols for impact
  evaluation
• Explore high and low risk zones of air pollution
  impact in different regions
• Establish realistic air quality guidelines for
  protecting vegetation including crops

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Thanks due to

• Professor J.N.B. Bell, Imperial College of
  Science Technology and Medicine, London
• Dr Fiona Marshall, Sussex University, Sussex
• Dr S.B.Agrawal, Banaras Hindu University,
  Varanasi
• Dr Lisa Emberson, Stockholm Environment
  Institute, York
• Our research team Dr Bhoomika Singh
• Dr Madhu Rajput
• Ms. Supriya Tiwari
• Department for International Development, U.K.
  for Funds
• Banaras Hindu University