Identification of suitable areas and effect of climate change on ginger - a GIS study

Abstract

Secondary data of area, production and productivity of ginger have consistently shown an increasing trend during the last 3 decades. Increase in area is not always in proportion with the increase in production. Thirty years area and production curves of the important ginger growing states are compared with the Eco-crop suitability model which indicated that suitability has direct impact on production. Orissa, West Bengal, Mizoram and Kerala are very highly suitable while North western states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,Madhya Pradesh are marginally suitable or unsuitable. North eastern and south western states are ideally highly suitable for ginger cultivation. Future prediction of Eco-crop model shows, if the temperature increase by 1.5 to 2oC, the suitability of Orissa and west Bengal will reduce drastically from high suitability to marginally suitable, indicating the effect of climate change.