Today’s weather seems more unpredictable than ever. Whether it’s unusually heavy rain in the spring, extreme drought in the winter, or uncharacteristically warm days during winter, our climate seems to defy traditional patterns.
Between 1901 and 2020, global temperatures rose an average of? nearly two degrees Fahrenheit and rising sea levels have shifted weather patterns, causing increased drought and flooding in different parts of the world. This means predicting yield outcomes at the end of the season is becoming more challenging, making decisions about planting and inputs even more complex.
At the same time, the global population continues to increase. Estimators predict it will grow to nearly ten billion by 2050. That’s 3.4 billion more mouths to feed, meaning we will need to increase food production by nearly 70% according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
The impacts of a changing climate on agriculture continue to unfold as it is highly dependent on good weather, adequate rainfall, and other stable climate variables. Farmers must be aware of how a changing climate will affect their crops and learn ways to adapt and help build resilience to stressful conditions to protect their yield potential and improve overall crop quality.
Changing climates are having widespread impacts on global agriculture production, disrupting food availability and access, invasive pests migrating to new parts of the world, and impacting overall food quality. And farmers are noticing.
In fact, not only do 80 percent of farmers believe the climate is changing, according to an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach survey, farmers agree they are already see it impacting end of season outcomes and increasing food insecurity in parts of the world.
Areas like North and Central America, West Africa, Central Asia, Brazil, and China are known for strong corn production, but may see their corn yields decline in the coming years due to beyond average temperatures. According to a study from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), unpredictable and challenging climate patterns may affect the production of corn as early as 2030 in a high greenhouse gas emissions scenario. The study predicts corn crop yields could decline 24 percent.
The NASA study also found that soybean and rice projections showed a decline in some regions, but overall impacts still differed globally.
Temperature increases, rainfall pattern shifts, and elevated surface carbon dioxide concentrations from greenhouse gas emissions are the main culprits impacting these crops.
Warming weather in parts of the world also means new pest pressures and diseases for farmers to deal with the effect of heat stress, and water shortages. Helping crops become healthier and more efficient at utilizing resources will help build resilience to these yield-limiting events so farms can stay productive and profitable.
Each farm will face unique challenges depending on location and environmental conditions; therefore, agronomic knowledge and understanding how current practices are influencing yield results are important amid changing climate conditions.
Farmers who look to find new ways to help crops build resilience to environmental stress could see improved yield protection.
Tailoring planting dates and adjusting irrigation schedules based on seasonal weather forecasts, experimenting with more drought-and-heat-resistant varieties, and embracing strategies to retain soil moisture can all significantly play a role in supporting the success of a crop. For instance, a no-till strategy can curb erosion to help keep soil intact and protect moisture levels.
Regenerative agriculture is also gaining traction. This is a farming practice that rebuilds soil organic matter and restores degraded soil biodiversity, resulting in both carbon capture and water cycle improvements. Some examples of this are using cover crops, reducing tilling, diversifying crop rotations, spreading compost, reducing soil runoff with field buffers, and integrating crops and livestock where feasible.
But as abiotic stress impacts crops from external conditions, such as prolonged warmer temperatures, higher salinity due to lack of water, or a shift in rain patterns that brings too much water to a crop, focusing on the plant’s health from the inside out becomes more important.
Utilizing the right nutritional and biostimulant combinations can provide crops with the environmental stress support they need when conditions are less than ideal. Biostimulants are products made of various organic, or naturally occurring, elements that have been scientifically proven to support physiological processes or hormonal responses in plants. This added support for a crop enables it to more effectively take up and use nutrients and therefore have better resilience to stressful conditions, which can lead to higher yields.
While we know change is constant, farmers can continue to adopt and leverage a combination of current and novel tools and practices to help combat environmental stress, keeping their farms healthy, productive, and profitable.
Want to learn more about how to build resilience against environmental stress? Contact one of our innovation experts or learn more [here].
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