Thursday 24 March 2016

Selecting cultivars to withstand climate change (#journal)

Cultivars to face climate change effects on crops and weeds: a review

Yield losses are caused both by direct effects of climate change on crops and by increases in weeds.  Rising temperature will decrease yields of maize, soybean, wheat, rice and cotton, also specialty crops such as almonds, grapes, berries, citrus, or stone fruits. Drought stress should decrease the production of tomato, soybean, maize, and cotton. Temperature increases will mainly affect the distribution of weeds by expanding their geographical range. This will enhance further yield losses.  Selection of cultivars that secure high yields under climate change but also by competing with weeds is therefore of major importance. Traits related with (a) increased root/shoot ratio, (b) vernalization periods, (c) maturity, (d) regulation of node formation and/or internode distance, (e) harvest index variations, and (f) allelopathy merit further investigation.

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