Climate-Resilient Crops

Farmers operating large commercial outfits and smaller, hobby growers alike are facing new challenges season after season.

- Susan M. Brackney

Some of the most common of these include prolonged heatwaves, increased drought conditions and, paradoxically, more flooding and extreme weather events, too.

In some cases, these conditions are contributing to lower crop yields or even total crop failure. According to a September 2009 study published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, as temperatures continue to rise, U.S. corn and soybean yields could drop by at least 30% by the end of the century. What’s more, the overall nutritional value of crops such as wheat and soybeans also may be negatively affected. And that’s not all.

“We know that, with the increasing temperatures and the trajectory of climate change, we’re seeing increased incidence of pests and diseases, because the insects can survive in a broader landscape because the temperature is more amenable,” says Angela Records, chief scientific officer at the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR).

Fortunately, science-based solutions are in the works — as well as some more immediate agricultural practices that we can all put to work.

Heat-Resistant Varieties