A holistic multi-actor approach towards the design of new tomato varieties and management practices to improve yield and quality in the face of climate change

Abstract The Middle East, the cradle of viticulture and wine production, is gradually but steadily becoming hotter and drier because of climate change (CC). In the current study, we evaluated the effect of tillage and irrigation on yield and quality characteristics of the heat-resistant, indigenous red-grape variety Maratheftiko for one year. Yield increased (two-fold) in vines with irrigation and tillage compared to tillage with no irrigation. The absence of tillage buffered the negative effect of the lack of irrigation on yield. At the veraison stage, leaf stomatal conductance decreased in non-irrigated vines, independently of the application of tillage or not. At veraison, tillage increased (up to 27.5%) phenolics when compared to no tillage in non-irrigated vines. Vines accumulated more N, P, and K and less Mg during the flowering stage compared to veraison. At veraison, irrigation decreased K content in vines subjected to tillage and decreased Mg content in vines subjected to no tillage. Total soluble solids and anthocyanins of berries increased with the absence of irrigation and tillage. Total phenolics increased with tillage in both irrigated and non-irrigated plants. Our results indicate that no tillage systems may be viable as an adaptation strategy in the context of CC.

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Linked hydrologic and social systems that support resilience of traditional irrigation communities

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-19-293-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 293-307 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

A. Fernald ◽

S. Guldan ◽

K. Boykin ◽

A. Cibils ◽

M. Gonzales ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Water Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Irrigation System ◽

Social Systems ◽

Irrigation Management ◽

Hydrologic Processes ◽

Traditional Local Knowledge ◽

The Face ◽

Traditional Irrigation

Abstract. Southwestern US irrigated landscapes are facing upheaval due to water scarcity and land use conversion associated with climate change, population growth, and changing economics. In the traditionally irrigated valleys of northern New Mexico, these stresses, as well as instances of community longevity in the face of these stresses, are apparent. Human systems have interacted with hydrologic processes over the last 400 years in river-fed irrigated valleys to create linked systems. In this study, we ask if concurrent data from multiple disciplines could show that human-adapted hydrologic and socioeconomic systems have created conditions for resilience. Various types of resiliencies are evident in the communities. Traditional local knowledge about the hydrosocial cycle of community water management and ability to adopt new water management practices is a key response to disturbances such as low water supply from drought. Livestock producers have retained their irrigated land by adapting: changing from sheep to cattle and securing income from outside their livestock operations. Labor-intensive crops decreased as off-farm employment opportunities became available. Hydrologic resilience of the system can be affected by both human and natural elements. We find, for example, that there are multiple hydrologic benefits of traditional irrigation system water seepage: it recharges the groundwater that recharges rivers, supports threatened biodiversity by maintaining riparian vegetation, and ameliorates impacts of climate change by prolonging streamflow hydrographs. Human decisions to transfer water out of agriculture or change irrigation management, as well as natural changes such as long-term drought or climate change, can result in reduced seepage and the benefits it provides. We have worked with the communities to translate the multidisciplinary dimensions of these systems into a common language of causal loop diagrams, which form the basis for modeling future scenarios to identify thresholds and tipping points of sustainability. Early indications are that these systems, though not immune to upheaval, have astonishing resilience.

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Minimizing pest and disease risks in uncertain climates: CABI initiatives developing new technologies and tools for outreaching early warning to farmers.

10.31220/agrirxiv.2021.00064 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Bryony Taylor ◽

Jonathan Casey ◽

Sivapragasam Annamalai ◽

Elizabeth A. Finch ◽

Tim Beale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Management Practices ◽

New Technologies ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Observation Data ◽

Extreme Temperatures ◽

Pests And Diseases ◽

Recent Climate ◽

The Face

Abstract Recent climate models have projected a global temperature increase of at least 1.5-2°C on present day temperatures, including a high likelihood of an increase in extreme temperatures experienced in inhabited places. Changes to observed precipitation patterns are likely with several regions predicted to experience an increase in heavy precipitation and others likely to experience more drought, and a precipitation deficit. There is a growing body of evidence to suggest these changing climatic conditions affect the distribution and phenology of pests and diseases of agriculture. As ectothermic organisms, arthropod pests and fungal diseases are sensitive to changes in mean temperatures and temperature ranges to which they are exposed, with warmer average conditions likely to increase development rates and more extreme temperatures likely to have a negative impact on development. Models which incorporate climate change projections indicate that pests and diseases may shift or increase their ranges in line with warming temperatures. Smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, with farmers reporting negative impacts on crop production and needing to change farming practices in response to changing climates. In the face of changeable conditions, traditional pest management practices may not be as effective given the climate change induced changes which may be present in the ecosystems e.g. alteration of tritrophic interactions between pest and natural enemies. This paper gives an overview of current and recent projects where CABI and partners have developed and utilised existing technologies, methodologies and approaches that may help smallholder farmers to receive the necessary information to control pests and diseases in the context of changing climates. First, we cover the application of species distribution models and their benefits in highlighting areas at risk of pest incursion in the future. Second, we cover within season modelling approaches, driven by earth observation data sources to help farmers to make informed decisions on the best time to apply an intervention, in the face of changing within season temperatures. Finally, we report on CABI's activities associated with climate smart agriculture in South East Asia.

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Challenges to Cocoa Production in the Face of Climate Change and the Spread of Pests and Diseases

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10091232 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 1232

Author(s):

Christian Cilas ◽

Philippe Bastide

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Geographical Distribution ◽

Management Practices ◽

Additional Constraint ◽

The Other ◽

Plant Health ◽

Breeding Programs ◽

Pests And Diseases ◽

Cocoa Production ◽

The Face

The evolution of cocoa farming was quickly confronted with the development of pests and diseases. These sanitary constraints have shaped the geographical distribution of production over the centuries. Current climate change adds an additional constraint to the plant health constraints, making the future of cocoa farming more uncertain. Climate change is not only affecting the areas where cocoa is grown for physiological reasons, particularly in relation to changes in water regimes, but also affects the distribution of pests and diseases affecting this crop. These different points are discussed in the light of the trajectories observed in the different cocoa-growing areas. The breeding programs of cocoa trees for sustainable resistance to plant health constraints and climate change are therefore particularly important challenges for cocoa farming, with the other management practices of plantations.

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Genomic Approaches for Conservation Management in Australia under Climate Change

Life ◽

10.3390/life11070653 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 653

Author(s):

Isabelle Onley ◽

Katherine Moseby ◽

Jeremy Austin

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Threatened Species ◽

Management Practices ◽

Conservation Management ◽

Extinction Risk ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Genetic Management ◽

Species Management ◽

The Face ◽

Analytical Approaches

Conservation genetics has informed threatened species management for several decades. With the advent of advanced DNA sequencing technologies in recent years, it is now possible to monitor and manage threatened populations with even greater precision. Climate change presents a number of threats and challenges, but new genomics data and analytical approaches provide opportunities to identify critical evolutionary processes of relevance to genetic management under climate change. Here, we discuss the applications of such approaches for threatened species management in Australia in the context of climate change, identifying methods of facilitating viability and resilience in the face of extreme environmental stress. Using genomic approaches, conservation management practices such as translocation, targeted gene flow, and gene-editing can now be performed with the express intention of facilitating adaptation to current and projected climate change scenarios in vulnerable species, thus reducing extinction risk and ensuring the protection of our unique biodiversity for future generations. We discuss the current barriers to implementing conservation genomic projects and the efforts being made to overcome them, including communication between researchers and managers to improve the relevance and applicability of genomic studies. We present novel approaches for facilitating adaptive capacity and accelerating natural selection in species to encourage resilience in the face of climate change.

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Carbon storage in soils and plant biomass under future climate and land use pressures

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-6002 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Dmitry Yumashev ◽

Victoria Janes-Bassett ◽

John Redhead ◽

Ed Rowe ◽

Jessica Davies

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Large Scale ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Management Practices ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Local Evidence ◽

The Face ◽

The Uk

<p>It is widely accepted in the scientific, business and policy communities that meeting the Paris Agreement targets will require a large-scale deployment of negative emission technologies and practices. As a result, nature-based climate solutions, including carbon sequestration (Cseq) in soils and forests, have received much attention in the literature recently. Several national and global assessments have identified considerable potential for terrestrial Cseq, while other studies have raised doubts regarding its practical limits in the face of the likely future pressures from climate change and land use change. In general, the existing Cseq assessments lack sensitivity to climate change, perspective on local land use and nutrient limitations. Accounting for these factors requires process-based modelling, and is feasible only at national to regional scales at present, underpinned by a wide body of local evidence. Here, we apply an integrated terrestrial C-N-P cycle model (N14CP) with representative ranges of high-resolution climate and land use scenarios to estimate Cseq potential in temperate regions, using the UK as a national-scale example. Meeting realistic UK targets for grassland restoration and forestation over the next 30 years is estimated to sequester an additional 120 TgC by 2100 (similar to current annual UK greenhouse gas emissions), conditional on climate change of <2&#176;C. Conversely, UK arable expansion would reduce Cseq by a similar magnitude, while alternative arable management practices such as extensive rotations with grass leys would have a comparatively small effect on country-wide Cseq outcomes. Most importantly, the simulations suggest that warmer climates will cause net reductions in Cseq as soil carbon losses exceed gains from increased plant productivity. Our analysis concludes that concerted land use change can make a moderate contribution to Cseq, but this is dependent on us cutting emissions from fossil fuels, soil degradation and deforestation in line with a <2&#176;C pathway.</p>

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Opinions on strategies for forest adaptation to future climate conditions in western Canada: surveys of the general public and leaders of forest-dependent communities

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-2014-0142 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 44 (12) ◽

pp. 1525-1533 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Reem Hajjar ◽

Erin McGuigan ◽

Molly Moshofsky ◽

Robert A. Kozak

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

General Public ◽

Management Practices ◽

Genetically Engineered ◽

Future Climate ◽

Future Climate Change ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Adequate Understanding ◽

The Face ◽

Natural Range

Two province-wide surveys of residents in Alberta and British Columbia were conducted to assess the acceptability of a range of reforestation strategies — many of which revolve around biotechnology — that could be used to aid western Canada’s forests in adapting to future climate change. The opinions of leaders of forest-dependent communities were also sought to evaluate how well they align with those of the public at large. Results show that the views of the general public and community leaders correspond. There is a low acceptance for a “do-nothing” strategy that allows climate change to run its course without any human intervention; high acceptance of replanting with local seeds; a decreasing acceptance of strategies that involve more manipulation such as breeding, using nonlocal seeds, and moving seeds outside of a species’ natural range; and a low acceptance of genetically engineered solutions. However, a high proportion of respondents changed their answers when told that a particular strategy would lead to either favourable or unfavourable outcomes related to socioeconomics of forest-dependent communities, forest aesthetics, and pest, disease, and fire outbreaks. We conclude that a meaningful and participatory dialogue on forest adaptation strategies in the face of climate change can only emerge if residents and other interested stakeholders have an adequate understanding of current forest management practices, proposed reforestation strategies, the role of technological interventions, and the values and services for which western Canada’s forests are to be managed.

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