Impact of climate change on plant disease development and management in cold arid regions of Ladakh

Climate change is also impacting plant health and disease management in high-altitude agro-ecosystems like Ladakh, where plant and animal diversity is already threatened due to fragile ecosystems, scarce water resources and limited crop-growing seasons. Temperature rise, changes in snowfall and snowmelt and erratic precipitation, along with an increase in the use of irrigation systems, are facilitating the establishment and proliferation of pests and diseases that were once suppressed by extreme weather conditions. At the same time, abiotic stress factors like temperature rise, drought and varying levels of soil moisture are weakening plant resistance to disease infection. These are some of the emerging plant disease management challenges in high-altitude agro-ecosystems. The increase in protected cultivation and intensive production of vegetables in Ladakh, while promoting livelihood security, has inadvertently contributed to an increase in plant disease management risks, especially from soil- and water-borne diseases and insect-borne viruses. These emerging plant disease management issues are likely to impact the productivity of important crops like barley, wheat, potato, peas and vegetables, with significant implications for food and nutritional security. Moreover, climate change is also affecting the predictability and effectiveness of conventional plant disease management techniques like chemical management, host resistance and biological management. This review highlights the need for developing climate-resilient plant disease management techniques for high-altitude agro-ecosystems. It also emphasises the need to develop plant disease management techniques to strengthen early warning systems, develop climate-resilient crop varieties and promote farmer-centred approaches to climate adaptation, along with the integration of scientific innovations and traditional knowledge to address plant disease management issues in Ladakh.