March heat to shape up wheat output this year in North India: Experts

A significant drop in per hectare yields of wheat for second year this year due to unusually high temperatures could have an impact on Centre's annual wheat procurement plan

Temperatures in March will be critical to determining the impact of any unusual heatwave conditions on this year’s wheat crop in North India. It is that time of the year when the crop enters its vital grain-filling stage, say meteorologists and crop experts.

So far, the high day temperatures in the North are not believed to have any significant impact on the final yields since the crop hasn’t entered a stage where heat affects yields. But all this may change dramatically in the next fortnight or so.

In Central India, the wheat crop may have escaped the current high temperatures,