Climatic variability nd its impact n agricultural operations:Acase study of ajouri istrict

The pattern and feature of agriculture in J&K state in general and Rajouri district in particular is not found to be coherent with rest of the Indian states because of its diverse climatic nature. The germination of seeds, growth and development require suitable temperature conditions. Each and every crop has the minimum, optimum and maximum temperature of its different stages of growth. Similarly, Rainfall is also the dominant and determining factor which controls the agricultural operations of an area. This paper aims to analyse the climatic variations in Rajouri district and their control on agricultural operations. For this, mean monthly temperature and rainfall conditions have been analyzed for twenty five years from 1980-81 to 2004-05 and monthly averaged values have been incorporated in the present study. Depending on the trend and pattern of temperature and rainfall the region is divided into four seasons. In general, the climate varies from semi-tropical in the southern part to temperate in the mountainous northern part of the district. The semi-tropical region receives monsoons whereas, the northern part prone to hailstorms experiences excessive rains. In consonance with these conditions, the farmers in the region have accordingly adopted the cropping pattern to suit the different seasons.