Assessment of Surface Ozone levels at Agra and its impact on Wheat Crop

Ozone is currently the most important air pollutant that negatively affects growth and yield of agricultural crops in most parts of the world, and wheat is arguably the most important food crop in the Northern India. The higher ozone concentration in different regions is posing threat to food production. Measurement of surface ozone was made during the growing season (January-March 2011) of wheat crop at Agra. The daytime maximum was found to vary from 62–72 ppb and minima varied from 20–23 ppb. The effect of ozone on crop yield has been examined using exposure indices AOT40 and SUM06. The calculated AOT40 (2562 ppbh) and SUM06 (7470 ppbh) were found below the critical levels thereby indicating that wheat crop grown in Agra is safe from the threats of existing surface ozone levels.