TY - JOUR
T1 - Priority for climate adaptation measures in European crop production systems
AU - Zhao, Jin
AU - Bindi, Marco
AU - Eitzinger, Josef
AU - Ferrise, Roberto
AU - Gaile, Zinta
AU - Gobin, Anne
AU - Holzkämper, Annelie
AU - Kersebaum, Kurt Christian
AU - Kozyra, Jerzy
AU - Kriaučiūnienė, Zita
AU - Loit, Evelin
AU - Nejedlik, Pavol
AU - Nendel, Claas
AU - Niinemets, Ülo
AU - Palosuo, Taru
AU - Peltonen-Sainio, Pirjo
AU - Potopová, Vera
AU - Ruiz-Ramos, Margarita
AU - Reidsma, Pytrik
AU - Rijk, Bert
AU - Trnka, Mirek
AU - van Ittersum, Martin K.
AU - Olesen, Jørgen E.
PY - 2022/8
Y1 - 2022/8
N2 - To date, assessing the adaptive measures to climate change effects on cropping systems have generally been based on data from field trials and crop models. This strategy can only explore a restricted number of options with a limited spatial extent. Therefore, we designed a questionnaire that incorporated both qualitative and quantitative aspects of climate change adaptation in the agricultural sector. The questionnaire was distributed to experts from 15 European countries to map both the observed and planned climate adaptive measures in general and for five major crops (wheat, oilseed rape, maize, potato, and grapevine) in six environmental zones (EnZs) across Europe. In northern Europe, changed timing of field operations and introduction of new crops and cultivars were the already observed as the main adaptations to a longer growing season and reduced low-temperature stress under climate change. Farmers in central and southern Europe were mainly changing water and soil management as well as adopting drought-tolerant cultivars to cope with increasing evapotranspiration and higher variability and lower predictability of rainfall. Crop protection, crop insurance, and early warning/forecast systems were considered effective ways to reduce the economic losses from increased climate-related risks and extremes. The risks and associated adaptation measures vary for different crops in different EnZs. Across Europe, changes in field operation practices, fertilisation regime, crop protection, and cultivar selection are expected to be the most prominent adaptive measures under future projected climate change. In southern and central Europe, improved irrigation systems, changing cropping systems, and revised environmental regulations and subsidy schemes are being introduced as part of adaptation planning due to the projected warmer and drier climate. In northern Europe, there are also considerations of changing landscape and environmental regulations to cope with increasing rainfall variability and changing cropping practices due to longer growing seasons. The thorough understanding of the observed and foreseen adaptations in the different zones will be helpful for supporting decision making at both farm and policy levels across Europe.
AB - To date, assessing the adaptive measures to climate change effects on cropping systems have generally been based on data from field trials and crop models. This strategy can only explore a restricted number of options with a limited spatial extent. Therefore, we designed a questionnaire that incorporated both qualitative and quantitative aspects of climate change adaptation in the agricultural sector. The questionnaire was distributed to experts from 15 European countries to map both the observed and planned climate adaptive measures in general and for five major crops (wheat, oilseed rape, maize, potato, and grapevine) in six environmental zones (EnZs) across Europe. In northern Europe, changed timing of field operations and introduction of new crops and cultivars were the already observed as the main adaptations to a longer growing season and reduced low-temperature stress under climate change. Farmers in central and southern Europe were mainly changing water and soil management as well as adopting drought-tolerant cultivars to cope with increasing evapotranspiration and higher variability and lower predictability of rainfall. Crop protection, crop insurance, and early warning/forecast systems were considered effective ways to reduce the economic losses from increased climate-related risks and extremes. The risks and associated adaptation measures vary for different crops in different EnZs. Across Europe, changes in field operation practices, fertilisation regime, crop protection, and cultivar selection are expected to be the most prominent adaptive measures under future projected climate change. In southern and central Europe, improved irrigation systems, changing cropping systems, and revised environmental regulations and subsidy schemes are being introduced as part of adaptation planning due to the projected warmer and drier climate. In northern Europe, there are also considerations of changing landscape and environmental regulations to cope with increasing rainfall variability and changing cropping practices due to longer growing seasons. The thorough understanding of the observed and foreseen adaptations in the different zones will be helpful for supporting decision making at both farm and policy levels across Europe.
KW - Adaptation
KW - Changing field practices
KW - Climate change
KW - Crop production
KW - Europe
KW - Global warming
KW - Novel crops
KW - Stress-resistant cultivars
U2 - 10.1016/j.eja.2022.126516
DO - 10.1016/j.eja.2022.126516
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85130277742
SN - 1161-0301
VL - 138
JO - European Journal of Agronomy
JF - European Journal of Agronomy
M1 - 126516
ER -