New Delhi, April 29 -- India's summer (zaid) crops, including maize, moong, and groundnut, have remained resilient despite scorching heat across several parts of the country. However, an extended heatwave could hurt both yields and crop quality, a senior agricultural scientist warned on Wednesday.

Field reports suggest that these short-duration crops, grown between rabi and kharif seasons, are largely holding up, supported by timely irrigation, M.L. Jat, secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education, and director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), told Mint in a telephonic interview.

However, concerns are mounting that a prolonged spell of high temperatures extending into May could begin to adv...