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Global warming and agriculture
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In the coming years, agriculture will have to face an increasing challenge in feeding the growing population of the world.
Many people believe it will also have to face the perspective of global climate changes. A forecasted climate change is global warming, induced by an increasing concentration of radiatively active greenhouse gases.
The appreciation of the impacts of potential climatic changes is essential. Many believe it is not until a certain threshold of gravity of the modifications observed, that it will be convenient or pressing to deal with these issues. Agriculture is one of these fields that are carefully monitored.
Besides, assessment of the impact of global climate changes on agriculture might help to properly anticipate and adapt farming to limit potential food shortage.
Assessment on global scale or local scale ?
Despite technological advances, such as improved varieties, genetically modificd organisms, or irrigation systems, weather is still a key factor in agricultural productivity, as well as soil properties and natural communities. The effect of climate on agriculture is related to variabilities in climate rather than in global climate patterns. Consequently, agronomists consider it has to be individually considered for each local area.
On the other hand, agricultural trade has grown in the recents years, and now provides significant national food amounts to major importing countries, as well as confortable income to exporting ones. The international aspect of food trade[?] and food security implies the need to also consider the impacts of climate change on a global scale.
Climate models limitations
Some major limitations to climate changes consequences estimates are related to the models that are being used.
The climate models are not really able to give accurate projections because of inadequate understanding of natural processes and computer power limitation. As a consequence, the assessment of possible impacts of climate changes are based on estimations.
Moreover, most models are not able yet to provide reliable projections of changes in climate variability on a local scale, or in frequency of exceptional events such as storms and drought. For example, there is a lack of consensus among experts in prediction of regional soil moisture[?] changes.
Crop development models
The study of the impacts is using other types of models, such as crop development models, yield prediction, quantities of water or fertilizer consumed. The models condense the knowledge accumulated in influence of the climate, soil, and agricultural practices[?]. They can make it possible to test strategies of adaptation to the modifications of the environment.
Because these models are necessarily simplifying natural conditions (often based on the assumption that weeds, disease and insect pest are controlled), it is not clear whether the results they give will have an in-field reality. However, some results are partly validated with an increasing number of experimental results.
Other types of biological models used
Other models, such as insect and disease development models based on climate projections are also used (for example simulation of aphid reproduction or septoria (cereal fungal disease) development).
Scenarios in biological models
Scenarios are used in order to estimate climate changes effects on crop development[?] and yield. Each scenario is defined as a set of meteorological variables, based on generally accepted projections.
For example, many models are running simulations based on doubled CO2 projections, temperatures raise ranging from 1°C up to 5°C, rainfall -/+20%. Other parameters may include, humidity, wind, and global radiation[?].
Scenarios of crop models are testing farm-level adaptation, such as sowing date shift, climate adapted species (vernalisation need, heat and cold resistance), irrigation and fertilizer adaptation, disease resistance.
Most developed models are about wheat, maize, rice and soybean.
Potential global climate changes consequences on agricultural production
Many scientists position is that agricultural shifts are likely.
Several types of changing parameters can have an impact on agriculture
- a direct effect is the composition of the earth atmosphere :CO2 and ozone. Gases such as CH4, NO2 and CFC are commonly believed not to have any impact on physiological processus.
- some indirect effects are climate parameters resulting from climate change : temperature, insolation, rainfall, humidity
- other indirect effects are the side effects due to the climatic changes : increase of the sea level, changes in ocean currents, tornadoes...
All these influences combine negatively or positively :
- The assessment of these effects is different whether one considers annuals crops[?] (cereals, leguminous) or herbaceous perennial cultures (fodder, meadows) or other cultures such as vine or fruit trees...
- The effects are also different depending on the latitude : in temperate countries, effects are found less negative or even rather beneficial, while in tropical and desertic countries they tend to be adverse.
- Finally, effects depend on altitude, mid and high altitude places rather benefiting from a warmer temperature.
Climate change induced by increasing greenhouse gases is likely to affect crops differently from region to region. For example, average crop yield is expected to drop down to 50% in Pakistan according to the UKMO scenario whereas corn production in Europe is expected to grow up to 25% in optimum hydric conditions.
However, the more favourable effects on yield depend to a large extent on realization of the potentially benefiting effects of CO2 on crop growth and increase of efficiency in water use. Decrease in potential yields is likely to be caused by shortening of the growing period, decrease in water availability and poor vernalization.
Temperature potential impact on growing period
Duration of crop growth cycles[?] are above all related to temperature.
An increase in temperature will speed up development. In the case of an annual crop, the duration between sowing and harvesting will shorten (for example, corn duration cycle could shorten between 1 to 4 weeks). The shortening of the cycle would rather has adverse effect on productivity because of senescence occuring sooner.
Temperature changes could also have serious implications for crops and trees that need vernalisation.
Atmospheric CO2 potential impact on yield
carbon dioxide is a perfect example of a change that could have both positive and negative consequences.
- CO2 is expected to have positive physiological effects through photosynthesis increase. This impact should be higher on C3 crops[?] (such as wheat) than on C4 crops[?] (such as corn). Under optimum conditions of temperature and humidity, the yield increase could reach 36 % (for a doubling of CO2).
- Higher amounts in CO2 will also reduce the loss of water through transpiration, hence decreasing the plants need in water.
- On the other hand, other studies also show a change in harvest quality. The growth improvment in C3 plants could favor vegetative biomass on grain biomass; thus leading to a decrease in grain production yield.
CO2 is believed by many scientists to be potentially responsible of productivity increase : 10-15 % for wheat and soybean, 8% for corn and rice for a +2°C scenario on average. However, these results mask great differences among countries.
Water availability impact on productivity
Water is a major limiting factor in the growth and production of crops worldwide.
In spite of better water efficiency use, higher summer temperature and lower summer rainfall is likely to have adverse impact. The intensification of the hydrological global cycle[?] will have consequences such as more frequent drought in northern sub-tropical areas or desertification extension in arid areas.
Erosion and fertility
Soil degradation is more likely to occur, and soil fertility[?] would probably be modified.
- A soil constant is its carbon/nitrogen ratio[?]. A doubling of carbon is likely to imply a higher storage of nitrogen in soils, thus providing higher fertilizing elements for plants, hence better yields. The average needs for nitrogen could decrease, and give the opportunity of changing the fertilisation strategies.
- The increase in precipitations would probably result in greater risks of erosion, according to the intensity of the rain.
- The possible evolution of the soil organic matter[?] is a very debated point though : while the increase in the temperature would induce a greater mineralisation[?] (hence lessen the soil organic matter content), the atmospheric CO2 concentration would tend to increase it.
Global climate change potential impact on pests, diseases and weeds
A very important point to consider is that weeds would undergo the same acceleration of cycle than cultivated crops, and would also benefit of carbonaceous fertilization.
Most weeds being C3 plants[?], they are likely to compete even more than now against crops such as corn. However some results make it possible to think that weedkillers could gain in effectiveness with the temperature increase.
The increase in rainfall is likely to lead to an increase of atmospheric humidity and maybe to the duration of moisturing.
Combined with higher temperatures, these could favor the development of fungal diseases[?].
Similarly, because of higher temperatures and humidity, there could be an increased pressure from insects and disease vectors.
Aricultural surfaces and climate changes
Climate change is likely to increase agricultural land surface near the poles.
On the other hand, rise in sea level, which is anticipated to cause erosion, submergence of shorelines, salinity of water table, could mainly affect agriculture through inundation of low-lying lands.
Ozone and UV-B
Some scientists think agriculture could be affected by any decrease in stratospheric ozone, which could increase biologically dangerous ultraviolet radiation.
Temporal variability and forecasting of the climate
Many believe the general foreseeability of the climate will decrease, making it more difficult to plan agricultural practices. They also think likely that extrem climatic conditions become more frequent, particularly in terms of intense rainfall, droughts and heat spells.
In the long run, the climatic change could affect agriculture in several ways :
- productivity, in terms of quantity and quality
- agricultural practices, through changes of water use (irrigation), agricultural inputs (herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers)
- environmental level, in particular in relation of frequency and intensity of soil drainage (leading to nitrogen leaching), soil erosion, reduction of crop diversity
- rural space, through the loss of previously cultivated lands, land speculation[?], land renunciation, hydraulic amenities.
They are large uncertainties to uncover, particularly the lack of information on the local scale, the uncertainties on magnitude of climate change, the effects of technological changes on productivity, global food demands, and the numerous possibilities of adaptation.
Most agronomists believe that agricultural production will be mostly affected by the severity and pace of climate change, not so much by gradual trends in climate.
If change is gradual, there will be enough time for biota adjustement. Rapid climate change, however, could harm agriculture in many countries, especially those that are already suffering from rather poor soil and climate conditions.
The adoption of efficient new techiques (varieties, planting date, irrigation...) is far from obvious. Some believe developed nations are too well-adapted to nowadays climate. As for developing nations, there may be social or technical constraints that could prevent them from achieving sustainable production.
global warming | global warming hypothesis
[1] (http://fr.news.yahoo.com/030512/202/36vt5)
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