IIT-Kgp study exposes critical surface ozone pollution effect on food crops
Times of India | 8 April 2025
12 Kharagpur/Kolkata: An IIT Kharagpur study led by Prof Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath at the Centre for Ocean, River, Atmosphere and Land Sciences (CORAL) has warned of significant threat to rice, wheat and maize production due to surface ozone pollution and pointed to immediate action towards reducing atmospheric pollution to ensure crop protection and food security.
Ozone is produced indirectly through reactions involving atmospheric pollutants like NOX and volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight. Hence, more the pollutants, higher the amount of ozone in the atmosphere.
The research titled "Surface ozone pollution-driven risks for the yield of major food crops under future climate change scenarios in India", published in the prestigious journal Environmental Research, says surface ozone functioning as a potent oxidant causes considerable damage to plant structures, resulting in visible leaf damage and decreased crop yields.
The research team utilised modelling data to evaluate historical patterns and future estimates of ozone-related crop losses. According to it, wheat production could decrease by an additional 20%, while rice and maize production could be down 7%.
Areas across the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and central India face particular risk, with ozone exposure potentially reaching six times the safe threshold.
This situation raises concerns for international food security, given India's position as a significant grain supplier to various Asian and African countries. These issues also present substantial obstacles to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 1 (No Poverty) and 2 (Zero Hunger) by 2030, especially considering rising air pollution, population expansion and climate change impacts.
"The adverse agriculture impact could be faced in the entire IGP and central India encompassing states like Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Bengal and Madhya Pradesh," Kuttippurath told TOI.
Accumulated ozone above a threshold of 40 parts per billion in growth stages of crops may surpass safer limits by six-fold in Indo-Gangetic Plain for rice and maize, and in central India for wheat, the research pointed out. The crops that could take the worst hit are rabi (winter: Dec–Feb) and post-kharif (post-monsoon: Oct–Nov) seasons.
The research emphasised the necessity for specific policies targeting air and ozone pollution in agricultural regions. "The adoption of robust emission control measures could substantially improve agricultural output and protect global food resources," said Anagha KS, lead author of the study.