Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecosystem, Environment and Climate Change in Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 91704

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
CSIRO Data61, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
Interests: big data analytics; remote sensing; machine learning; precision agriculture; digital agronomy
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The effects of climatic variability and change on global agriculture have become an important societal and technological research field over last 30 years. In this Special Issue, we aim to bring to the forefront this research and various researchers, focusing on agricultural adaptation, a purposeful direct proactive or indirect reactive response to changes associated with climate, agricultural sustainability and influenced by many factors. A very important feature of approaches adapted in this field of research on adaptation in agriculture is the role of government agencies and their long-term policy adaptation in irrigation water management, drought management, and sustainable future funding in tackling adverse climatic conditions. In many parts of the world, farmers are expressing great concern over climatic change and lack of knowledge in future of unpredictable impacts on agriculture. Agricultural growers and farm management authorities handle a complex environment enriched with biophysical, climatic and societal human factors to make profitable agriculture. However, in recent times, political systems and governing authorities of various countries have shown a neutral and ignorant stance towards the importance of the impact of climate change in agriculture. This has been increasing the long-term vulnerability of agriculture and also diminishing the effect on future research funding and fundamental technological advancement in this particular field.

In this Special Issue, we aim to publish research articles on Climatic Variability, Adaptive Capacity, Agricultural System, Drought in Agriculture, Environment Crop Insurance, Advancement in Technology for Climate Adaptation, Data Science to tackle Climatic Variability. We also invite peers from the related fields of research to identify and contribute to this Special Issue with case studies and awareness stories about the adverse effect of climatic changes in agriculture and on the society.

Dr. Ritaban Dutta
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Climatic Variability
  • Adaptive Capacity
  • Agricultural System
  • Drought in Agriculture
  • Environment Crop Insurance
  • Advancement in Technology for Climate Adaptation
  • Data Science to tackle Climatic Variability

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Published Papers (17 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1528 KiB  
Article
Alley Cropping Mitigates the Impacts of Climate Change on a Wheat Crop in a Mediterranean Environment: A Biophysical Model-Based Assessment
by Francesco Reyes, Marie Gosme, Kevin J. Wolz, Isabelle Lecomte and Christian Dupraz
Agriculture 2021, 11(4), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11040356 - 15 Apr 2021
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4349
Abstract
Introduction: Climate change (CC) and the increased occurrence of extreme climatic events pose a serious threat to crop yields and their stability worldwide. This study analyzed the CC mitigation potential of an alley cropping system on crop physiological stresses and growth as compared [...] Read more.
Introduction: Climate change (CC) and the increased occurrence of extreme climatic events pose a serious threat to crop yields and their stability worldwide. This study analyzed the CC mitigation potential of an alley cropping system on crop physiological stresses and growth as compared to a monoculture system. Materials and Methods: Growth of winter durum wheat, cultivated alone (agriculture) and in combination with hybrid walnut (agroforestry), was simulated with the Hi-sAFe agroforestry model, as driven by business-as-usual Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections, split into three scenarios, representing Past (1951–1990), Present (1991–2030), and Future (2031–2070) climatic conditions. Crop growth and the occurrence of thermal, nitrogen, and water stresses were analyzed. Results: Cold-related stresses were modest in Past and almost disappeared over time. Heat, drought, and nitrogen stresses increased about twofold from Past to Future, but were reduced by 20–35% in agroforestry, already with medium-sized trees (diameter at breast height (DBH) of about 10–15 cm). Crop yields in agriculture increased from Past to the end of Present and then remained stable. This moderately decreased with tree age in agroforestry (especially in Future). Discussion: The impact of CC on the crop was buffered in agroforestry, especially for the most extreme climatic events. The mitigation of crop microclimate and the increased stability of crop yields highlight the potential of agroforestry as a CC adaptation strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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17 pages, 5033 KiB  
Article
Climate Change Effects on Temperate Grassland and Its Implication for Forage Production: A Case Study from Northern Germany
by Iraj Emadodin, Daniel Ernesto Flores Corral, Thorsten Reinsch, Christof Kluß and Friedhelm Taube
Agriculture 2021, 11(3), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11030232 - 10 Mar 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6585
Abstract
The effects of climate change on agricultural ecosystems are increasing, and droughts affect many regions. Drought has substantial ecological, social, and economic consequences for the sustainability of agricultural land. Many regions of the northern hemisphere have not experienced a high frequency of meteorological [...] Read more.
The effects of climate change on agricultural ecosystems are increasing, and droughts affect many regions. Drought has substantial ecological, social, and economic consequences for the sustainability of agricultural land. Many regions of the northern hemisphere have not experienced a high frequency of meteorological droughts in the past. For understanding the implications of climate change on grassland, analysis of the long-term climate data provides key information relevant for improved grassland management strategies. Using weather data and grassland production data from a long-term permanent grassland site, our aims were (i) to detect the most important drought periods that affected the region and (ii) to assess whether climate changes and variability significantly affected forage production in the last decade. For this purpose, long-term daily weather data (1961–2019) and the standardized precipitation index (SPI), De Martonne index (IDM), water deficit (WD), dryness index (DI), yield anomaly index (YAI), and annual yield loss index (YL) were used to provide a scientific estimation. The results show that, despite a positive trend in DI and a negative trend in WD and precipitation, the time-series trends of precipitation, WD, and DI indices for 1961–2019 were not significant. Extreme dry conditions were also identified with SPI values less than −2. The measured annual forage yield (2007–2018) harvested in a four-cut silage system (with and without organic N-fertilization) showed a strong correlation with WD (R = 0.64; p ˂ 0. 05). The main yield losses were indicated for the years 2008 and 2018. The results of this study could provide a perspective for drought monitoring, as well as drought warning, in grassland in northwest Europe. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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10 pages, 1265 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Effect of Climate Factors on SNPs within FHA Domain Genes in Eurasian Arabidopsis Ecotypes
by Tamer Aldwairi, David J. Chevalier and Andy D. Perkins
Agriculture 2021, 11(2), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11020166 - 18 Feb 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2578
Abstract
The rapid developments in high-throughput sequencing technologies have allowed researchers to analyze the full genomic sequence of organisms faster and cheaper than ever before. An important application of such advancements is to identify the impact of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the phenotypes [...] Read more.
The rapid developments in high-throughput sequencing technologies have allowed researchers to analyze the full genomic sequence of organisms faster and cheaper than ever before. An important application of such advancements is to identify the impact of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the phenotypes and genotypes of the same species by discovering the factors that affect the occurrence of SNPs. The focus of this study is to determine whether climate factors such as the main climate, the precipitation, and the temperature affecting a certain geographical area might be associated with specific variations in certain ecotypes of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. To test our hypothesis we analyzed 18 genes that encode Forkhead-Associated domain-containing proteins. They were extracted from 80 genomic sequences gathered from within 8 Eurasian regions. We used k-means clustering to separate the plants into distinct groups and evaluated the clusters using an innovative scoring system based upon the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system. The methods we used allow the selection of candidate clusters most likely to contain samples with similar polymorphisms. These clusters show that there is a correlation between genomic variations and the geographic distribution of those ecotypes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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19 pages, 4488 KiB  
Article
Exploring Climate Disaster Resilience: Insight into City and Zone Levels of Southern Taiwan
by Moslem Imani, Hoda Fakour and Shang-Lien Lo
Agriculture 2021, 11(2), 107; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11020107 - 31 Jan 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3749
Abstract
While climate change is one of the greatest environmental threats the entire world faces today, rapid urbanization is making both the community and ecosystem more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Estimating urban resilience is thus one of the important processes to [...] Read more.
While climate change is one of the greatest environmental threats the entire world faces today, rapid urbanization is making both the community and ecosystem more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Estimating urban resilience is thus one of the important processes to understanding the current and potential future risks of cities providing practical policies and qualified strategies to cope with climate change effects. This study presents a disaster risk analysis in Southern Taiwan at the municipal and zone levels using the Climate Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI). The index was estimated at both the zone and city scale of three coastal cities, namely Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung. The CDRI approach consists of five different dimensions (physical, social, economic, institutional, and natural), with several parameters and variables reflecting the abilities, strength, and threats of case study cities to cope with potential climate-related disasters. The findings show that, while the physical dimension has the highest resilience among cities, the lowest average scores and the least resilience belong to the natural dimension. The overall CDRI score for different cites also revealed various capabilities, shortcomings, drawbacks, and potential risks of neighbored cities in the same region. It is expected that the findings of this study shall serve as an urban planning tool to recognize the sectors within an urban context that are more or less resilient, enhance actions at the local level, and support future planning decisions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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22 pages, 3846 KiB  
Article
Impact of Climate Warming on Cotton Growth and Yields in China and Pakistan: A Regional Perspective
by Adnan Arshad, Muhammad Ali Raza, Yue Zhang, Lizhen Zhang, Xuejiao Wang, Mukhtar Ahmed and Muhammad Habib-ur-Rehman
Agriculture 2021, 11(2), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11020097 - 25 Jan 2021
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 7656
Abstract
Year to year change in weather poses serious threats to agriculture globally, especially in developing countries. Global climate models simulate an increase in global temperature between 2.9 to 5.5 °C till 2060, and crop production is highly vulnerable to climate warming trends. Extreme [...] Read more.
Year to year change in weather poses serious threats to agriculture globally, especially in developing countries. Global climate models simulate an increase in global temperature between 2.9 to 5.5 °C till 2060, and crop production is highly vulnerable to climate warming trends. Extreme temperature causes a significant reduction in crop yields by negatively regulating the crop phenology. Therefore, to evaluate warming impact on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production and management practices, we quantified agrometeorological data of 30 years by applying multiple crop modelling tools to compute the expected rise in temperature, impact of crop phenology, yield loss, provision of agrometeorology-services, agronomic technologies, and adaptation to climate-smart agriculture. Model projections of 15 agrometeorology stations showed that the growing duration of the sowing-boll opening and sowing-harvesting stages was reduced by 2.30 to 5.66 days decade−1 and 4.23 days decade−1, respectively, in Pakistan. Temperature rise in China also advanced the planting dates, sowing emergence, 3–5 leaves, budding anthesis, full-bloom, cleft-boll, boll-opening, and boll-opening filling by 24.4, 26.2, 24.8, 23.3, 22.6, 15.8, 14.6, 5.4, 2.9, and 8.0 days. Furthermore, present findings exhibited that the warming effect of sowing-harvest time was observed 2.16 days premature, and delayed for 8.2, 2.4, and 5.3 days in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s in China. APSIM-cotton quantification revealed that the sowing, emergence, flowering, and maturity stages were negatively correlated with temperature −2.03, −1.93, −1.09, and −0.42 days °C−1 on average, respectively. This study also provided insight into the adaptation of smart and better cotton by improving agrotechnological services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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13 pages, 779 KiB  
Article
Response of Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum) to Deficit Irrigation Management under the Semi-Arid Environment of Egypt: Field and Modeling Study
by Samiha Ouda, Tahany Noreldin, Juan José Alarcón, Ragab Ragab, Gianluca Caruso, Agnieszka Sekara and Magdi T. Abdelhamid
Agriculture 2021, 11(2), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11020090 - 21 Jan 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2662
Abstract
In many areas of the world, water shortages prevail and threaten food production. Deficit irrigation was commonly investigated in dry areas as a precious and sustainable production approach. Using the CropSyst model to simulate the effects of different deficit irrigation treatments could help [...] Read more.
In many areas of the world, water shortages prevail and threaten food production. Deficit irrigation was commonly investigated in dry areas as a precious and sustainable production approach. Using the CropSyst model to simulate the effects of different deficit irrigation treatments could help draw conclusions and save time, effort, and money. Therefore, the aims of this research were (i) to calibrate and validate the CropSyst model for wheat under different sustained and phenological stage-based deficit irrigation treatments, (ii) to simulate the impacts of the latter treatments on limiting wheat yield reduction. Two field experiments were conducted in Nubaria (Egypt), representing an arid environment. They included seven irrigation treatments: (1) 100%, (2) 75%, or (3) 50% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) during the whole crop cycle; (4) 50% ETc at tillering only, or (5) at booting only, or (6) at grain filling only, or (7) at both tillering and grain filling, with the replenishment of 100% ETc to the treatments (4) to (7) in the remaining phenological stages. The results revealed that phenological stage-based deficit irrigation of wheat resulted in lower yield reduction compared to sustained deficit irrigation treatments, with a 6% yield reduction when 50% ETc was applied at the booting stage. Wheat yield loss was reduced to 4 or 6% when 95 or 90% of ETc were applied, respectively. The CropSyst model accurately simulated wheat grain and total dry matter under deficit irrigation with low RMSE value. In conclusion, the CropSyst model can be reliably used for evaluating the strategy of planned deficit irrigation management in terms of wheat production under the arid environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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15 pages, 2583 KiB  
Article
Impact of Climate Change on the Production of Coffea arabica at Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
by Sigrun Wagner, Laurence Jassogne, Elizabeth Price, Martin Jones and Richard Preziosi
Agriculture 2021, 11(1), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11010053 - 11 Jan 2021
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 7057
Abstract
Adapting coffee production to climate change is a significant challenge requiring a detailed understanding of local climatic change patterns and the consequences, both real and perceived, for coffee production. To this end, we examined changes in precipitation at Mt. Kilimanjaro over the last [...] Read more.
Adapting coffee production to climate change is a significant challenge requiring a detailed understanding of local climatic change patterns and the consequences, both real and perceived, for coffee production. To this end, we examined changes in precipitation at Mt. Kilimanjaro over the last two decades and conducted twelve focus group discussions to obtain farmers’ perceptions on climate change, the impact of extreme weather events on coffee production and the potential of shade trees as an adaptation strategy. Despite an increase in total annual precipitation, farmers are still confronted with droughts due to a shift in seasons. We found a delayed onset of the main rainy season and showed that a positive Indian Ocean Dipole contributes to the increase in precipitation during the short rainy season. Farmers clearly described the impacts of drought or excess rainfall on coffee production during flowering, maturation, and harvest. Thus, adaptation strategies need to be tailored such that specific coffee development stages are buffered against the effects of droughts, shorter wet seasons, and less frequent but heavier rainfall events. To develop the potential of shade trees as an effective adaptation strategy, optimum shade density, specific tree species, and management practices need to be identified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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12 pages, 6867 KiB  
Article
Microclimate-Based Pest and Disease Management through a Forewarning System for Sustainable Cotton Production
by Bhuvaneswari Madasamy, Paramasivan Balasubramaniam and Ritaban Dutta
Agriculture 2020, 10(12), 641; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10120641 - 17 Dec 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4629
Abstract
Cotton is an essential commercial crop. Unfortunately, this crop is affected by many pests and diseases, which can cause considerable loss in yield. Climate has a strong correlation with the occurrence of pests and diseases in crops. Currently, weather forecasting services are available [...] Read more.
Cotton is an essential commercial crop. Unfortunately, this crop is affected by many pests and diseases, which can cause considerable loss in yield. Climate has a strong correlation with the occurrence of pests and diseases in crops. Currently, weather forecasting services are available to the farmers, which help with weather-based planning of farm operations. Still, weather-based pest and disease forewarning services are not available to all the farmers. Unfortunately, cotton cultivation consumes about one-third of total pesticide consumption, which increases the cost of production apart from polluting the environment. An information and communication technology (ICT) based intelligent pest and disease forewarning system for cotton is an innovative system for providing forewarning on pests and diseases. It aims at improving farm productivity through better crop management. In this paper, the proposed method aims to predict the occurrence of pests and diseases based on microclimatic parameters. This pest and disease forewarning information and appropriate crop management practices will be disseminated to the farmers using electronic media through short message service (SMS), the Internet, etc. In this way, both livelihood security and environmental security are achieved. The proposed model shows a higher optimal performance then the two related works in terms of the average root mean square error rate, average accuracy rate, average percentage error rate, and prediction accuracy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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14 pages, 1070 KiB  
Article
N2O and CO2 Emissions from Bare Soil: Effect of Fertilizer Management
by Tomasz Sosulski, Wojciech Stępień, Adam Wąs and Magdalena Szymańska
Agriculture 2020, 10(12), 602; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10120602 - 4 Dec 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3162
Abstract
The paper presents the results of a laboratory experiment focused on the assessment of the effect of different methods of application of ammonium nitrate (TD—top dressing and DP—deep placement) on N2O and CO2 emissions from soil without crop cover. Nitrogen [...] Read more.
The paper presents the results of a laboratory experiment focused on the assessment of the effect of different methods of application of ammonium nitrate (TD—top dressing and DP—deep placement) on N2O and CO2 emissions from soil without crop cover. Nitrogen application increased soil N2O–N fluxes by 24.3–46.4%, compared to untreated soil (NIL). N2O–N emissions from TD treatment were higher by 12.7%, compared to DP treatment. Soil CO2–C fluxes from DP treatment were significantly higher by 17.2%, compared to those from NIL treatment. Nonetheless, the differences between soil CO2–C fluxes from DP and TD treatments, as well as from TD and NIL treatments, were of no statistical significance. The cumulative greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (a sum of cumulative soil emissions of CO2–C and N2O–N after conversion to the equivalent of CO2–C) from both N-fertilized soils were similar, and higher by 20% than from untreated soil. The obtained data show that the effect of reduction of N2O–N soil emissions gained by deep placement of nitrogen fertilizer was completely lost through an increase in CO2–C emissions from the soil. This suggests that deep placement of nitrogen fertilizers in sandy soil without crop cover might not lead to a mitigation of soil GHG emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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22 pages, 2312 KiB  
Article
Examining Potential Environmental Consequences of Climate Change and Other Driving Forces on the Sustainability of Spanish Olive Groves under a Socio-Ecological Approach
by Antonio Alberto Rodríguez Sousa, Jesús M. Barandica, Pedro A. Aguilera and Alejandro J. Rescia
Agriculture 2020, 10(11), 509; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10110509 - 29 Oct 2020
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3987
Abstract
Olive groves form characteristic Mediterranean socio-ecological landscapes, occupying more than 5 M ha; 2.5 M ha in Spain. In recent decades, traditional extensive management of olive groves has shifted to an intensive regime, with some cases of abandonment. These situations triggered negative environmental [...] Read more.
Olive groves form characteristic Mediterranean socio-ecological landscapes, occupying more than 5 M ha; 2.5 M ha in Spain. In recent decades, traditional extensive management of olive groves has shifted to an intensive regime, with some cases of abandonment. These situations triggered negative environmental and economic externalities that led farmers to adopt increasingly multifunctional management models. From a transdisciplinary perspective, the current state of Spanish olive groves was analyzed, assessing their vulnerability to climate change as one of the main threats to their sustainability. Based on our findings and assuming that by 2050, in the Mediterranean, there will be an increase in temperature of 0.8–2.3 °C and a decrease in rainfall of up to 200 mm per year, a displacement of the distribution area of olive groves is expected towards zones of lower temperature and higher moisture. The predicted climatic conditions would increase evapotranspiration of vegetation and atmospheric CO2 emissions. Moreover, climate change will reduce the chill accumulation in olive groves, altering its flowering, fructification and crop yields. Thus, it is necessary to adopt management models that promote olive grove resilience in face of climate change, ensuring their socio-ecological sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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16 pages, 742 KiB  
Article
How Does Climate Change Affect Rice Yield in China?
by Wenjian He, Yiyang Liu, Huaping Sun and Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary
Agriculture 2020, 10(10), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10100441 - 28 Sep 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6063
Abstract
The global warming phenomenon has undoubtedly brought unprecedented challenges to rice production, vital for food security in Southeast Asian countries and China. Most studies on this topic have focused narrowly on the direct effect of climate change on rice yield, neglecting the indirect [...] Read more.
The global warming phenomenon has undoubtedly brought unprecedented challenges to rice production, vital for food security in Southeast Asian countries and China. Most studies on this topic have focused narrowly on the direct effect of climate change on rice yield, neglecting the indirect effect. Using panel data from 30 provinces in China from 1990 to 2016, in this paper, we propose and test a mediational effect model to examine the mechanisms of how climate change affects rice yield. We find that climate change leads to changes in functional irrigation areas, farmers’ fertilizing behavior, and agricultural labor supply, and it is these mediating factors that effectively transmit the impact of climate change to China’s rice production. The positive indirect impact of climate change on the factors of production often partially or overly compensates for the adverse direct effect of climate change on rice yield, leading to a surprising observation of the association of climate change with increased rice yield, at least in the short run. We also provide some preliminary policy advice based on the analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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14 pages, 11212 KiB  
Article
Impact of Climate Change on Land Use, Yield and Production of Cassava in Thailand
by Siwabhorn Pipitpukdee, Witsanu Attavanich and Somskaow Bejranonda
Agriculture 2020, 10(9), 402; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10090402 - 11 Sep 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 7465
Abstract
This article examined the effect of climate change on land use, yield, and production of cassava in Thailand, employing the panel data analysis between 1989 and 2016. The spatial regression and the instrumental variable method with the generalized method of moment were employed [...] Read more.
This article examined the effect of climate change on land use, yield, and production of cassava in Thailand, employing the panel data analysis between 1989 and 2016. The spatial regression and the instrumental variable method with the generalized method of moment were employed to address the endogeneity problems with the unique climate dataset. The current article investigated that total rainfall and the La Niña event determined harvested area of cassava. In addition, the harvested area was decreased as the population density increased due to high demand for non-agricultural use. On the other hand, increased access to irrigation systems enhanced the harvested area of cassava. Considering the yield of cassava, we found an inverted U-shape relationship between yield and temperature. Moreover, this study revealed that climate variability, extreme events and technological progress statistically influenced cassava yields. By using the climate projections during 2046–2055, we found that harvested area and yield of cassava were projected to reduce 12.49–16.05% and 2.57–6.22% from the baseline. As a result, cassava production in Thailand was predicted to decline 14.74–21.26% from the baseline. The well-being of a half-million farmers in Thailand plus actors in the global supply chain of cassava will be vulnerable to climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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21 pages, 3069 KiB  
Article
Effect of Propagation Method and Ploidy Level of Various Rootstocks on the Response of the Common Clementine (Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan) to a Mild Water Deficit
by Julie Oustric, Radia Lourkisti, Stéphane Herbette, Raphaël Morillon, Gilles Paolacci, Noémie Gonzalez, Liliane Berti and Jérémie Santini
Agriculture 2020, 10(8), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10080321 - 2 Aug 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2870
Abstract
Current climatic upheavals reduce water availability which impacts the growth and fruit quality of plants. In citrus crops, scion/rootstock combinations are used to ensure high fruit production and quality and a stress tolerance/resistance. Our objective was to assess the effect on the clementine [...] Read more.
Current climatic upheavals reduce water availability which impacts the growth and fruit quality of plants. In citrus crops, scion/rootstock combinations are used to ensure high fruit production and quality and a stress tolerance/resistance. Our objective was to assess the effect on the clementine scion (C) under natural mild water deficit of (i) polyploid rootstocks by comparing the allotetraploid FlhorAG1 (C/4xFLs; trifoliate orange + Willowleaf mandarin) with its diploid parents, trifoliate orange (C/2xTOs), and Willowleaf mandarin (C/2xWLs), and with a diploid genotype used as reference (Carrizo citrange, C/2xCCs), (ii) rootstock propagation methods by comparing trifoliate orange seedling (C/2xTOs) with cutting (C/2xTOc). A mild water deficit observed under orchard conditions during the summer period (July–August) induced a significant change in yield (except in C/2xTOs), fruit size, and quality. C/2xCCs, C/2xTOs, and C/2xWLs appeared less affected by water deficit as indicated by their lower reduction of predawn leaf water potential (Ψpd), relative water content (RWC), transpiration (E), and photosynthetic parameters (Pnet and gs). Their greater redox balance was probably due to their better antioxidant efficiency. Seedling rootstocks lead to a better adaptation of clementine scions to water deficit than cutting or allotetraploid rootstock. Improving the tolerance to water deficit requires taking into consideration the rootstock genotype, propagation method, and ploidy level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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9 pages, 863 KiB  
Article
Scenario Planning for Climate Adaptation in Agricultural Systems
by Laura Schmitt Olabisi, Robert Ugochukwu Onyeneke, Onyinye Prince Choko, Stella Nwawulu Chiemela, Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie, Anthonia Ifeyinwa Achike and Adedapo Ayo Aiyeloja
Agriculture 2020, 10(7), 274; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10070274 - 7 Jul 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3897
Abstract
Effective climate adaptation in sub-Saharan African agriculture will require coordination across multiple scales of governance. Decision-makers from local to national scales will be tasked with planning under conditions of high uncertainty, often with minimal data. Participatory scenario planning is a method for devising [...] Read more.
Effective climate adaptation in sub-Saharan African agriculture will require coordination across multiple scales of governance. Decision-makers from local to national scales will be tasked with planning under conditions of high uncertainty, often with minimal data. Participatory scenario planning is a method for devising adaptation strategies under high uncertainty, and we hypothesized that it could also be used for identifying systemic, inclusive, and transformative adaptation options at the community scale, and for highlighting opportunities for cross-scalar collaboration. We conducted scenario exercises with two communities in southeastern Nigeria that have experienced increasing flooding and other challenges linked to climate variability. Both communities identified drivers of change that intersect with climate, as well as community-scale actions that would improve adaptation to a range of future scenarios. We found evidence that scenario exercises can stimulate communities to develop transformative approaches to climate adaptation that seek to reduce climate risk by creating new systems and processes. We also found that community-identified priorities for strategic action highlight how larger-scale interventions could coordinate with communities to adapt more effectively. Participatory scenario planning is therefore a potentially important tool for adaptation planning in regions in which future conditions are highly uncertain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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16 pages, 1281 KiB  
Article
Farmers’ Beliefs and Concerns about Climate Change: An Assessment from Southern Saudi Arabia
by Bader Alhafi Alotaibi, Hazem S. Kassem, Roshan K. Nayak and Muhammad Muddassir
Agriculture 2020, 10(7), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10070253 - 1 Jul 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6302
Abstract
Climate change constitutes a major threat to agricultural production, food security, and natural resource management. Saudi Arabia is particularly susceptible to increasing temperatures and extreme climatic events, such as arid weather and drought. The purpose of this study is to assess farmers’ beliefs [...] Read more.
Climate change constitutes a major threat to agricultural production, food security, and natural resource management. Saudi Arabia is particularly susceptible to increasing temperatures and extreme climatic events, such as arid weather and drought. The purpose of this study is to assess farmers’ beliefs and concerns as regards climate change. Extensive interviews were conducted with 164 farmers in the Jazan region. Results revealed that 89.6% of the farmers believed that climate change is due to human activities and 93.3% believed that it is because of natural change. Seventy-five percent of the farmers were concerned about insects and 73% about the prevalence of weeds on their farms. Findings of cluster analysis revealed that farmers who are more likely to believe in climate change are more in agreement with the role of extension services in capacity building. Farmers’ beliefs about climate change were significantly influenced by membership of agricultural cooperatives, access to loans, use of extension services, age, farm size, and level of soil fertility. Access to loans was the only significant factor to explain the differences in farmers’ concerns. These results suggest the need for capacity-building activities targeted at improving farmers’ adaptability to manage climate variability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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11 pages, 1174 KiB  
Article
Assessing Salinity Tolerance in Rice Mutants by Phenotypic Evaluation Alongside Simple Sequence Repeat Analysis
by Can Thu Huong, Truong Thi Tu Anh, Hoang-Dung Tran, Vu Xuan Duong, Nguyen Thanh Trung, Tran Dang Khanh and Tran Dang Xuan
Agriculture 2020, 10(6), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10060191 - 27 May 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3369
Abstract
Salinity stress is one of the most severe constraints limiting rice production worldwide. Thus, the development of salt-tolerant rice promises to deal with increasing food demand due to climate change effects. This study investigated the salinity tolerance of mutant rice by evaluating phenotype [...] Read more.
Salinity stress is one of the most severe constraints limiting rice production worldwide. Thus, the development of salt-tolerant rice promises to deal with increasing food demand due to climate change effects. This study investigated the salinity tolerance of mutant rice by evaluating phenotype and genotype, using forty-two simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers linked to the salinity tolerance Saltol quantitative trait locus (QTL) in ten cultivars and mutant lines. Results of phenotypic screening showed that the mutant line SKLo/BC15TB and cultivar BC15TB performed salt tolerance, while the mutant line Bao Thai/DT 84 and cultivar DT84DB were sensitive to salt stress. The markers RM 493, RM 562, RM 10748, RM 518, RM 237, and RM 20224 were the most polymorphic in salinity tolerance. Among them, RM 237, RM 10748, and RM 224 showed the highest polymorphism information (PIC = 0.58). This study reveals that the three markers are profitable for classification of salinity tolerance in both cultivar and mutant rice. The mutant line SKLo/BC15TB and cultivar BC15TB were found to be promising candidates for diversity analysis of salt-tolerant rice. Findings of this study are useful for developing new salinity-tolerant rice cultivars towards climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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20 pages, 2249 KiB  
Article
Mid-Term Impact of Climate Change on Hazelnut Yield
by Nazan An, Mustafa Tufan Turp, Murat Türkeş and Mehmet Levent Kurnaz
Agriculture 2020, 10(5), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10050159 - 9 May 2020
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 6650
Abstract
The impacts of climate change on hazelnut production in Turkey—the world’s largest producer and exporter—may significantly affect the global hazelnut market depending on production and yield change. In this paper, based on gridded climate data with a 10-km horizontal resolution from regional climate [...] Read more.
The impacts of climate change on hazelnut production in Turkey—the world’s largest producer and exporter—may significantly affect the global hazelnut market depending on production and yield change. In this paper, based on gridded climate data with a 10-km horizontal resolution from regional climate model RegCM4.4 under the RCP8.5 business-as-usual scenario, multiple regression analysis was conducted to investigate yield change for the period of 2021–2050. We examined a total of 88 different locations and three phenological growth stages. We observed that hazelnut yield exhibits considerable variability depending on the phenological and sub-regional and the microclimate conditions in the humid-temperate Black Sea and the semi-humid Marmara regions. Until the middle of the century, we project that hazelnut yield will decrease up to 13% in approximately half of the current production areas. In addition, the fact that the majority of the decreases will be observed in the eastern Black Sea sub-region will cause hazelnut quality to be adversely affected. These findings are highly relevant in the context of regional development and trade in Turkey, and hazelnut processing and manufacturing sectors abroad. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture)
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