PubMed · 2026-06-06
Sesame crops in India's semi-arid Bundelkhand region are experiencing a warming climate (up to 2.2°C per century) alongside declining monsoon rainfall — and surprisingly, moderate warming actually helps sesame yields while excess or poorly timed rain hurts them.
The Bundelkhand region has warmed by 0.9–2.2°C over the past 100 years, with the strongest warming in late and post-monsoon months.
Sesame yield correlated positively with temperature (r = 0.28–0.48) but negatively with rainfall variables (r = −0.26 to −0.47), with August rainfall showing the strongest adverse effect on yield.
Regression models explained 29–78% of yield variation, with monthly temperature and rainfall distribution indices (like consecutive wet days and heavy rain events) being stronger predictors than seasonal averages.
