Implications of climate change for agricultural productivity in the early twenty-first century

RGB Imaging as a Tool for Remote Sensing of Characteristics of Terrestrial Plants: A Review

Approaches for remote sensing can be used to estimate the influence of changes in environmental conditions on terrestrial plants, providing timely protection of their growth, development, and productivity. Different optical methods, including the informative multispectral and hyperspectral imaging of reflected light, can be used for plant remote sensing; however, multispectral and hyperspectral cameras are technically complex and have a high cost. RGB imaging based on the analysis of color images of plants is definitely simpler and more accessible, but using this tool for remote sensing plant characteristics under changeable environmental conditions requires the development of methods to increase its informativity. Our review focused on using RGB imaging for remote sensing the characteristics of terrestrial plants. In this review, we considered different color models, methods of exclusion of background in color images of plant canopies, and various color indices and their relations to characteristics of plants, using regression models, texture analysis, and machine learning for the estimation of these characteristics based on color images, and some approaches to provide transformation of simple color images to hyperspectral and multispectral images. As a whole, our review shows that RGB imaging can be an effective tool for estimating plant characteristics; however, further development of methods to analyze color images of plants is necessary.

The Importance of Philanthropy Foundation for the Future Sustainability of Agriculture and Nutrition: An Opinion Study on Practical Applications, Policies, and Strategies

Food security, food sustainability, and malnutrition represent critical global challenges. Th urgency of comprehensive action is evident in the need for research collaboration between the food industry, agriculture, public health, and nutrition. This article highlights the role of philanthropy, of a non-profit organization, in supporting research and development and filling financial gaps. The article also explores the interplay of nutrition, agriculture, and government and policy, positioning philanthropy as a catalyst for transformative change and advocating for collaborative efforts to comprehensively address global food challenges. In addition, the discussion also underscores the ethical complexities surrounding charitable food aid, especially in terms of the dignity and autonomy of its recipients. The paper concludes by proposing future directions and implications, advocating for diversified intervention portfolios and collaborative efforts involving governments, businesses, and local communities. Apart from that, the importance of answering and alleviating ethical dilemmas related to food charity assistance needs to be a concern for future studies related to philanthropy because of the significant challenges faced by the contemporary food system, which include food security, health, and nutritional sustainability.

Conservation Agriculture Impacts on Economic Profitability and Environmental Performance of Agroecosystems

The rationale of this study originates from the primary sector's multiple roles in the global warming issue. Agriculture is reported among the main causes of anthropogenic global warming. At the same time, it is profoundly impacted by climate change and concurrently holds potential as a solution through the sequestration of soil organic carbon (SOC) facilitated by Conservation Agriculture (CA). However, the findings in the literature are controversial on the SOC sequestration capacity and the profitability of CA implementation. Considering the new and old objectives of the sector, this paper tackles the assessment of the actual capabilities of CA to be a viable strategy to pursue the social good of climate change mitigation and concurrently be profitable for farmers. The economic profitability and environmental performance of CA are assessed analysing data from a field experiment in Northern Italy (European temperate area) and identifying the best management practice by means of a data envelopment analysis.

Climatic variability and its impact on the indigenous agricultural system using panel data analysis in the Sikkim Himalaya, India

Climate-induced extreme events with fluctuations in climatic indicators like temperature and precipitation highly influence crop productivity. This study deals with quantitative analysis of climatic variability and crop production (1990-2018) using panel data regression analysis. The focus is on variability of three crops, i.e., paddy, maize, and wheat in the Rangit river basin of Sikkim Himalaya, India. Meterological data were acquired from the Indian Meteorological Department, agricultural data from the state agricultural department and a field survey were also conducted with the farmers, using a structured questionnaire, focused group discussion, and key informant observations. The acquired data was analyzed with the help of correlation and multiple linear regression analysis to analyze the relationship between climatic variability and crop production. The result of the study shows that all three crops are dependent on rainfall; however, paddy was the most sensitive to climatic variability. It was found that the overall grain production had an inverse relation to temperature, but it had a positive correlation with rainfall. It was observed that there was a continuous decline in the overall production of paddy and wheat. During deficiency years, it was found that when - 11.33% rainfall was deficient, paddy yield declined by - 1.52%. Further, a deviation of - 13.48% led to a decline of - 54.78% in wheat. The study advocates that timely policy interventions and strategies shall reduce climatic shocks and improve productivity. This would strengthen the livelihood security of the local communities, overcome the challenges of food security, and ensure long-term sustainability of Rangit River basin.

Cessation of berry growth coincides with leaf complete stomatal closure at pre-veraison for grapevine (Vitis vinifera) subjected to progressive drought stress

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Drought events have devasting impacts on grape berry production. The aim of this study was to investigate berry growth in the context of leaf stomatal closure under progressive drought stress.

METHODS

Potted grapevine plants (varieties 'Syrah' and 'Cabernet Sauvignon') were evaluated at pre-verasion (30-45 d after anthesis, DAA) and post-veraison (90-107 DAA). Berry diameter, berry absolute growth rate (AGR), leaf stomatal conductance (Gs) at midday, plant water potential at predawn and midday (ΨPD and ΨMD, respectively), and soil relative water content were measured repeatedly. The ΨPD-threshold of 90 % loss in stomatal conductance (Gs10, i.e. complete stomatal closure) was determined. Data were related to plant dehydration phases I, II and III with corresponding boundaries Θ1 and Θ2, using the water potential curve method.

KEY RESULTS

At pre-veraison, berry AGR declined together with leaf Gs in response to soil drying in both varieties. Berry AGR transitioned from positive to negative (shrinkage) values when leaf Gs approached zero. The Gs10-threshold was -0.81 MPa in 'Syrah' and -0.74 MPa in 'Cabernet Sauvignon' and was linked to boundary Θ1. At post-veraison, berry AGR was negligible and negative AGR values were not intensified by increasing drought stress in either variety.

CONCLUSION

Leaf complete stomatal closure under progressive drought stress coincides with cessation of berry growth followed by shrinkage at pre-veraison (growth stage 1).

Sub-regional variation in atmospheric and land variables regulates tea yield in the Dooars region of West Bengal, India

Climatic variables can have localized variations within a region and these localized climate patterns can have significant effect on production of climate-sensitive crops such as tea. Even though tea cultivation and industries significantly contribute to employment generation and foreign earnings of several South Asian nations including India, sub-regional differences in the effects of climatic and soil variables on tea yield have remained unexplored since past studies focused on a tea-producing region as a whole and did not account for local agro-climatic conditions. Here, using a garden-level panel dataset based on tea gardens of Dooars region, a prominent tea-producing region in India, we explored how sub-regional variations in climatic and land variables might differently affect tea yield within a tea-producing region. Our analysis showed that the Dooars region harboured significant spatial variability for different climatic (temperature, precipitation, surface solar radiation) and soil temperature variables. Using graph-based Louvain clustering of tea gardens, we identified four spatial sub-regions which varied in terms of topography, annual and seasonal distribution of climatic and land variables and tea yield. Our sub-region-specific panel regression analyses revealed differential effects of climatic and land variables on tea yield of different sub-regions. Finally, for different emission scenario, we also projected future (2025-2100) tea yield in each sub-region based on predictions of climatic variables from three GCMs (MIROC5, CCSM4 and CESM1(CAM5)). A large variation in future seasonal production changes was projected across sub-regions (-23.4-35.7% changes in premonsoon, -4.2-3.1% changes in monsoon and -10.9-10.7% changes in postmonsoon tea production, respectively).

Effect of dietary seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) supplementation on milk mineral concentrations, transfer efficiency, and hematological parameters in lactating Holstein cows

This study investigated the effect of feeding seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) to dairy cows on milk mineral concentrations, feed-to-milk mineral transfer efficiencies, and hematological parameters. Lactating Holstein cows (n = 46) were allocated to 1 of 2 diets (n = 23 each): (1) control (CON; without seaweed) and (2) seaweed (SWD; replacing 330 g/d of dried corn meal in CON with 330 g/d dried A. nodosum). All cows were fed the CON diet for 4 wk before the experiment (adaptation period), and animals were then fed the experimental diets for 9 wk. Samples included sequential 3-wk composite feed samples, a composite milk sample on the last day of each week, and a blood sample at the end of the study. Data were statistically analyzed using a linear mixed effects model with diet, week, and their interaction as fixed factors; cow (nested within diet) as a random factor; and data collected on the last day of the adaptation period as covariates. Feeding SWD increased milk concentrations of Mg (+6.6 mg/kg), P (+56 mg/kg), and I (+1,720 μg/kg). It also reduced transfer efficiency of Ca, Mg, P, K, Mn, and Zn, and increased transfer efficiency of Mo. Feeding SWD marginally reduced milk protein concentrations, whereas there was no effect of SWD feeding on cows' hematological parameters. Feeding A. nodosum increased milk I concentrations, which can be beneficial when feed I concentration is limited or in demographics or populations with increased risk of I deficiency (e.g., female adolescents, pregnant women, nursing mothers). However, care should also be taken when feeding SWD to dairy cows because, in the present study, milk I concentrations were particularly high and could result in I intakes that pose a health risk for children consuming milk.

Lipo-chitooligosaccharide and thuricin 17 act as plant growth promoters and alleviate drought stress in Arabidopsis thaliana

Lipo-chito-oligosaccharide (LCO-from Bradyrhizobium japonicum) and thuricin 17 (Th17-from Bacillus thuringiensis) are bacterial signal compounds from the rhizosphere of soybean that have been shown to enhance plant growth in a range of legumes and non-legumes. In this study, an attempt to quantify phytohormones involved in the initial hours after exposure of Arabidopsis thaliana to these compounds was conducted using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. A petri-plate assay was conducted to screen for drought stress tolerance to PEG 8000 infusion and plant growth was studied 21-days post-stress. Arabidopsis thaliana plants grown in trays with drought stress imposed by water withhold were used for free proline determination, elemental analysis, and untargeted proteomics using LC-MS/MS studies. At 24 h post-exposure to the signal compounds under optimal growth conditions, Arabidopsis thaliana rosettes varied in their responses to the two signals. While LCO-treated rosettes showed a decrease in total IAA, cytokinins, gibberellins, and jasmonic acid, increases in ABA and SA was very clear. Th17-treated rosettes, on the other hand, showed an increase in IAA and SA. Both treatments resulted in decreased JA levels. Under severe drought stress imposed by PEG 8000 infusion, LCO and Th17 treatments were found to significantly increase fresh and dry weight over drought-stressed control plates, indicating that the presence of the signaling compounds decreased the negative effects experienced by the plants. Free proline content increased in LCO- and Th17-treated plants after water-withhold drought stress. Elemental analysis showed a significant increase in carbon percentage at the lower concentration of Th17. Untargeted proteomics revealed changes in the levels of drought-specific ribosomal proteins, glutathione S-transferase, late embryogenesis proteins, vegetative storage proteins 1 and 2, thaumatin-like proteins, and those related to chloroplast and carbon metabolism. The roles of some of these significantly affected proteins detected under drought stress are discussed.

Hydroponic potato production in wood fiber for food security

The resilience of global food security is a critical concern. Facing limited access to land and potential disruption of the food markets, alternative, scalable, and efficient production systems are needed as a complementary buffer for maintenance of food production integrity. The purpose of this study was to introduce an alternative hydroponic potato growing system where potatoes are grown in bare wood fiber as a growing medium. A system utilizing drip irrigation and plastic bags as containers was tested for three different types of wood fiber, two cultivars and two fertigation strategies. Implementation of the system resulted in ~300% higher tuber production when compared to the local conventional farming. Mineral composition of the tubers obtained from hydroponic system was similar to the composition of tubers grown in the field and revealed potential for biofortification. In addition, a fertigation strategy where the two application points were separated across the root zone resulted in tubers with dry matter content comparable to the potatoes grown in soil. The recyclability, reusability, and simplicity of this solution may encourage its application for improving security of food production in selected areas of the world as well as its utilization in urban agriculture.

Assessing long-term rainfall trends and changes in a tropical watershed Brantas, Indonesia: an approach for quantifying the agreement among satellite-based rainfall data, ground rainfall data, and small-scale farmers questionnaires

The agreement between meteorological data and societal perception is essential in supporting a robust policy making and its implementation. In humid tropic watersheds like Brantas, such consensus is important for water resources management and policies. This study exemplifies an effort to understand the long-term rainfall characteristics within the watershed and to build a common link among the differing data sources: CHIRPS rainfall satellite data, rain gauge data, and farmers perceptions. Six rainfall characteristics were derived using statistical measures from the scientific data and then were translated to a series of structured questionnaires given to small-scale farmers. A consensus matrix was built to examine the level of agreement among three data sources, supporting the spatial pattern of the meteorological data and farmers perception. Two rainfall attributes were classified with high agreement, four with moderate and one with low agreement. The agreements and discrepancies of rainfall characteristics were found in the study area. The discrepancies originated from the accuracy in translating scientific measurements to practical meanings for farmers, complexity of the farming system, the nature of phenomena in questions, and farmers' ability to record long-term climatic events. This study shows an implication that a combined approach to link scientific data and societal data is needed to support powerful climate policy making.

Determinants of climate change adaptation strategies in South India: Empirical evidence

The phenomena of climate change pose multifaceted challenges to crop and livestock farming, with severe implications on smallholder farmers' income and livelihoods. Climate change has profound implications (economic, environmental, and social) predominantly on rainfed regions in developing countries like India, where agriculture constitutes the backbone of the economy. In this context, the current study analyzes how farmers perceive climate change in the rainfed ecosystem in India, farmers' adaptation strategies, and their major determinants in addressing climate change. Data were collected from 400 sample farmers in South India. Discriminant and multinomial logit models were employed to identify the adaptation strategies of the farmers. It was evident that the factors such as off-farm income, farm income, and farming experience significantly influenced the adaptation strategies for tackling climate change. Furthermore, access to climate change information and literacy level are vital determinants in different climate change adaptation strategies, including crop diversification, integrated farming system, contingency plans for farm operations, and adoption of soil and water conservation techniques. However, the study highlights the increasing role of institutions (government and private) in future to safeguard the interests of farmers by offering a wide range of policy, research, and technology interventions. In a nutshell, R&D focus on climate-resilient agriculture, application of ICTs in agro-advisory services, and creation off-farm employment opportunities for the farmers is crucial to sustaining their livelihoods as these serve as potential mitigation strategies to impart resilience to climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture in rainfed ecosystems in India or any other countries.

Nitrogen balance is a predictor of farm business performance in the English Farm Business Survey

Global environmental sustainability and food security are fundamental societal issues, and most crop production relies upon inputs from organic or inorganic nitrogen sources. Previous research in the Global North has demonstrated a typical over application of nitrogen across global agriculture with substantial negative impacts on the environment. The objective of this work was to draw on English Farm Business Survey (FBS) data of non-organic General Cropping and Cereal farms to explore the relationship between farm gate nitrogen balance, fertilizer application advice and farm business performance. A mixed effects generalized modeling approach was used to partition the variance into random (such as year, or farm ID) and fixed effects (those of interest). Whilst the financial performance of farm businesses is subject to high variance and multiple drivers, a negative relationship was detected between business performance and farm gate nitrogen balance, we demonstrate that nitrogen lost to the environment of >60 kg per hectare is associated with a significant negative impact on farm performance. Supplier-provided fertilizer advice was also associated with reduced farm performance. These results imply a positive effect on farm performance of enhancing on-farm understanding of crop nutrient requirements through the provision of accredited fertilizer advice. Within the stated bounds our model demonstrates good predictivity on randomly subsetted data, and is presented as a tool for use in scenario modeling of interventions such as agri-environment schemes, Natural Capital and Ecosystems Assessment, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Mitigating the repercussions of climate change on diseases affecting important crop commodities in Southeast Asia, for food security and environmental sustainability—A review

Southeast Asia is a fertile land with a warm and humid climate which tends to accommodate various food crops. The development and advancement of the agricultural sector not only allows the countries in the region to feed the increasing population, but are also able to boost the nation's economy through exportation of the crops. Some of the well-known and economically-significant plant commodities found in the region include rice, oil palm, rubber, coconut, banana, sugarcane, pineapple, black pepper, maize, cocoa, durian, and jackfruit. Due to the high production of crops, Southeast Asia is able to stand among the top world producers of these commodities. Nevertheless, the widespread of pathogenic microorganisms has posed a serious threat to the industry over the years; with hundreds of millions of money wasted and total yield being lost due to the devastating diseases associated with each type of the plants. A lot of attention and effort have been continuously devoted to find effective plant management strategies to combat plant diseases, starting from traditional physical and chemical methods to the increasing discoveries on biological approaches made in recent decades. Due to the challenges and limitations faced by conventional approaches and the rising awareness toward the environment, more work has been focused on establishing the application of beneficial microorganisms to tackle plant diseases through direct mechanisms. Thus, by bringing the common plant commodities in Southeast Asia, their associated diseases and various physical, chemical and biological control measures together, this review aims to provide clearer insights and practical information to those who seek to limit the damages caused by plant diseases.

Genome editing in maize: Toward improving complex traits in a global crop

Recent advances in genome editing have enormously enhanced the effort to develop biotechnology crops for more sustainable food production. CRISPR/Cas, the most versatile genome-editing tool, has shown the potential to create genome modifications that range from gene knockout and gene expression pattern modulations to allele-specific changes in order to design superior genotypes harboring multiple improved agronomic traits. However, a frequent bottleneck is the delivery of CRISPR/Cas to crops that are less amenable to transformation and regeneration. Several technologies have recently been proposed to overcome transformation recalcitrance, including HI-Edit/IMGE and ectopic/transient expression of genes encoding morphogenic regulators. These technologies allow the eroding of the barriers that make crops inaccessible for genome editing. In this review, we discuss the advances in genome editing in crops with a particular focus on the use of technologies to improve complex traits such as water use efficiency, drought stress, and yield in maize.

Global evidence of the exposure-lag-response associations between temperature anomalies and food markets

Recent years have witnessed a landmark shift in global food prices due to the frequency of extreme weather events caused by temperature anomalies as well as the overlapping risks of COVID-19. Notably, the threat posed by temperature anomalies has spread beyond agricultural production to all aspects across food supply and demand channels, further amplifying volatility in food markets. Exploring trends in global food prices will give nations early warning signs to ensure the stability of food market. Accordingly, we utilize the Distributed Lag Non-Linear Model (DLNM) to simultaneously establish the exposure-lag-response associations between global temperature anomalies and food price returns in two dimensions: "Anomaly Degree" and "Response Time". Meanwhile, we also examine the cumulative lagged effects of temperature anomalies in terms of different quantiles and lag times. Several conclusions have been drawn. First, global food price returns will continue to decrease when the average temperature drops or rises slightly. While it turns up once the average temperature rises more than 1.1 °C. Second, major food commodities are more sensitive to temperature changes, and their price returns may also trend in a directional shift at different lags, with the trend in meat price being more particular. Third, food markets are more strongly affected in the case of extreme temperature anomalies. Many uncertainties still exist regarding the impact of climate change on food markets, and our work serves as a valuable reference for international trade regulation as well as the creation of dynamic climate risk hedging strategies.

Wheat Crop under Waterlogging: Potential Soil and Plant Effects

Inundation, excessive precipitation, or inadequate field drainage can cause waterlogging of cultivated land. It is anticipated that climate change will increase the frequency, intensity, and unpredictability of flooding events. This stress affects 10-15 million hectares of wheat every year, resulting in 20-50% yield losses. Since this crop greatly sustains a population's food demands, providing ca. 20% of the world's energy and protein diets requirements, it is crucial to understand changes in soil and plant physiology under excess water conditions. Variations in redox potential, pH, nutrient availability, and electrical conductivity of waterlogged soil will be addressed, as well as their impacts in major plant responses, such as root system and plant development. Waterlogging effects at the leaf level will also be addressed, with a particular focus on gas exchanges, photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugars, membrane integrity, lipids, and oxidative stress.

Enhancement of Heat and Drought Stress Tolerance in Rice by Genetic Manipulation: A Systematic Review

As a result of global warming, plants are subjected to ever-increasing abiotic stresses including heat and drought. Drought stress frequently co-occurs with heat stress as a result of water evaporation. These stressors have adverse effects on crop production, which in turn affects human food security. Rice is a major food resource grown widely in crop-producing regions throughout the world. However, increasingly common heat and drought stresses in growth regions can have negative impacts on seedling morphogenesis, reproductive organ establishment, overall yield, and quality. This review centers on responses to heat and drought stress in rice. Current knowledge of molecular regulation mechanisms is summarized. We focus on approaches to cope with heat and drought stress, both at the genetic level and from an agricultural practice perspective. This review establishes a basis for improving rice stress tolerance, grain quality, and yield for human benefit.

The Effect of Climate Change on Food Crop Production in Lagos State

Climate change is set to be particularly disruptive in poor agricultural communities. This study examines the effects of, and farmer's perceptions of, climate change on farming practices for cassava and maize in Lagos, Nigeria. Analysis of weather data from 1998 to 2018 (the most recent available) reveals little impact on cassava yield but a significant impact on maize yield. Furthermore, survey results indicate that farmers in this area are currently implementing techniques to adapt to changes in climate based on the type of crop grown. Agriculture in Lagos, Nigeria, is largely rain-fed and climate change negatively impacts crop productivity by decreasing crop yield and soil fertility, limiting the availability of soil water, increasing soil erosion, and contributing to the spread of pests. A decline in crop production due to climate change may be further exasperated by a lack of access to farming technology that reduces over-reliance on the rain-fed farming system and subsistence agriculture. This study indicates that there is a need for initiatives to motivate young and older farmers through access to credits, irrigation facilities, and innovative climate change adaptive strategies.

Influence of natural and climatic conditions on the distribution and forms of contagious agalactia in sheep in Bessarabia, Ukraine

Introduction

Contagious agalactia of ruminants is an endemic disease caused by Mycoplasma agalactiae in flicting significant losses on farms in deaths and forced slaughter of sick animals, abortions, births of sick young animals, and reduced milk and wool production. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of hydrometeorological conditions on the distribution and forms of contagious agalactia in sheep in Bessarabia, Ukraine.

Material and Methods

The epizootic situation regarding contagious agalactia was studied during 2011–2021 on sheep farms in the south of the Odesa region in Bessarabia. Over two million blood samples from sheep aged 1–6 years were serologically investigated and the prevalence of agalactia was correlated with Selyaninov’s hydrothermal coefficient for each sampling year.

Results

High rates of infection of sheep with contagious agalactia (from 13.1% to 14.4%) were registered in 2012, 2016 and 2021, years which according to the hydrothermal coefficient of 1.0 were sufficiently moist. The lowest incidence rates, from 6.5% to 7.4%, were registered in the very dry 2013, 2014 and 2019 with hydrothermal coefficients of 0.5‒0.6. In sufficiently moist years, contagious agalactia of sheep manifested itself in the mastitic form, while in the dry period the mastitic form was half as prevalent, and the mixed, articular and ocular forms of the disease proliferated.

Conclusion

The results indicate the circulation of Mycoplasma agalactiae among small ruminants in Bessarabia, and that the prevalence and the course of the associated disease depend on the humidity of the climate, i.e. the value of the hydrothermal coefficient.

The Influence of Environmental Awareness on Responsible Energy Consumption—The Case of Households in Poland

The growing impact of consumption on the environment has been attracting much attention from academics for the last couple of decades and has caused inquiries into the antecedents of responsible consumption. Previous studies focused on analyzing different antecedents of responsible consumption in various areas and contexts. However, very few studies investigated the antecedents of responsible consumption in the energy sector, and only a few referred to emerging European countries. The aim of the paper is to examine the effect of environmental awareness on responsible energy consumption. Data for this study have been collected using the survey methodology. A total of 1407 households were selected as a sample for the CAWI methods of gathering data. The territory of the study population is Poland. The methodology of research involves several measurement scales of theoretical constructs. The constructs′ reliability coefficients, as well as discriminant and convergent validity indices, showed an adequate level of measurement quality. Based on reliable and valid latent variables, the comparative analysis of mediated path models with moderated mediation is estimated. Structural causal modeling with d-separation check and sensitivity analysis of indirect causal paths is applied to test the causal research hypothesis under study. The research results confirm the significant mediational role of mobilizing attitude and environmental awareness in explaining relationships between perceived consumer effectiveness and energy efficiency and curtailment behaviors.

Australian farm dams are becoming less reliable water sources under climate change

Worldwide food production is under ever-increasing demand. Meanwhile, climate change is disrupting rainfall and evaporation patterns, making agriculture freshwater supplies more uncertain. IPCC models predict an increased variability in rainfall and temperature over most of the globe under climate change. Yet, the effects of climate variability on water security remain poorly resolved. Here we used satellite images and deep-learning convolutional neural networks to analyse the impacts of annual averages, seasonality, climate anomaly, and temporal autocorrelation (or climate reddening) for rain and temperature on the water levels of >100,000 Australian farm dams across 55 years. We found that the risk of empty farm dams increased with warmer annual temperatures, lower yearly rainfall, stronger seasonality, reduced climate anomalies, and higher temporal autocorrelation. We used this information to develop a predictive model and estimate the likelihood of water limitations in farm dams between 1965 and 2050 using historical data and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) at two climate change scenarios. Results showed that the frequency of empty water reserves has increased 2.5-fold since 1965 and will continue to increase across most (91%) of Australia. We estimated a 37% decline in rural areas with year-round water supplies between 1965 (457,076 km²) and 2050 (285,998 km²). Our continental-scale assessment documents complex temporal and spatial impacts of climate change on agricultural water security, with ramifications for society, economy, and the environment.

The nexuses between carbon emissions, agriculture production efficiency, research and development, and government effectiveness: evidence from major agriculture-producing countries

Agriculture production efficiency and carbon emissions have become the challenge for the sustainable world. Therefore, this study explores the relationships between agriculture production and carbon emissions in major (seventeen) agriculture-producing countries over the time period of 1996-2018. Data envelopment analysis is applied to estimate the efficiency of agriculture sector production. The results suggested that the USA, Russia, Korea, Japan, and Italy were efficient agriculture production. Among BRICS countries, China (0.183), India (0.378), and Brazil (0.382) are far off to Russia in Agriculture production efficiency. Growth of research and development investment by 1% increases agriculture production efficiency by 0.0773 (full panel), 0.119 (developing), and 0.0245(developed), respectively. Carbon emissions are also significantly decreased by research and development investment. However, the effectiveness of the government on carbon emissions can be both positive and negative in developed and developing countries' cases. Nevertheless, both developed and developing governments are concerned about increasing agriculture production efficiency. The shape validity of the environmental Kuznets curve is also varied between the developed and developing groups. From the policy perspective, it is suggested that the government should reform its policies to avoid carbon activities and enhance the agricultural sector on a priority basis to increase the efficiency of current raw resources, generate jobs, and reap a variety of other advantages.

Foliar Spraying with Potassium Bicarbonate Reduces the Negative Impact of Drought Stress on Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

In recent years, special attention has been paid to climate change assessment and research into our changing environment. The greatest economic losses worldwide are due to the negative effects of drought stress and extreme temperature on the plants’ morphological, physiological, and biochemical properties which limit crop growth and productivity. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is one of the most popular plants widely grown around the world as a spice, as well a medicinal, aromatic plant. The seedlings with 5–6 true leaves were divided into two groups, and one group of seedlings was sprayed with 10 mM potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3). Three days after potassium bicarbonate treatment, half of the plants from each group were subjected to a water deficit (drought stress), and the other half were grown under stress-free conditions (well-watered). The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) on morphophysiological parameters, phenolics content and the antioxidant activity of basil under drought conditions. The application of potassium bicarbonate to drought stressed plants significantly increased the chlorophyll content, fresh and dry weight, phenolics content in the two of tested cultivars, and antioxidant activity, determined by DPPH and ABTS methods. Principal component analysis showed that the first factor was highly and positively related to all the investigated parameters. Hierarchical clustering analysis showed that the first cluster was formed by being well-watered, well-watered and sprayed with potassium bicarbonate, and grown under drought conditions and sprayed with potassium bicarbonate basil cultivars, while the second cluster was formed by all the tested cultivars grown under drought conditions.

The short- and long-term impacts of climate change on the irrigated barley yield in Iran: an application of dynamic ordinary least squares approach

Given the extensive impacts of climate change on the agricultural sector and their interactions, the climate change is known as one of the main factors influencing agricultural production. The present study aims to explore the short- and long-term impacts of climate change on the yield of irrigated barley in 28 Iranian provinces over the 1999-2015 period. The research uses panel data and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) method. The study also estimated the threshold levels of temperature and rainfall which confirmed an inverted U-shaped relationship between climate change variables and irrigated barley yield. The threshold levels of temperature and rainfall are estimated to be 15.48 °C and 239 mm, respectively; beyond these threshold levels, the increase in temperature and rainfall have negative impact on barley yield in Iran. The long-term elasticity of temperature shows that the yield will be reduced with the increase in temperature in the long run. Same is the case with the precipitation and barley yield. The findings of the study suggest the need of a comprehensive national climate change policy and alignment of sectoral policies with it mitigate and adapt the climate change and global warming. Moreover, it also provided the guidelines for the government and policy-makers to introduce the use of modern eco-friendly and resource saving technologies such as water-saving methods of irrigation, use of fertilizer in required quantities, and improved seeds use. The government should also introduce the climate change awareness programs especially for farmers.

Bio-Inspired Robots and Structures toward Fostering the Modernization of Agriculture

Biomimetics is the interdisciplinary cooperation of biology and technology that offers solutions to practical problems by analyzing biological systems and transferring their principles into applications. This review article focused on biomimetic innovations, including bio-inspired soft robots and swarm robots that could serve multiple functions, including the harvesting of fruits, pest control, and crop management. The research demonstrated commercially available biomimetic innovations, including robot bees by Arugga AI Farming and the Robotriks Traction Unit (RTU) precision farming equipment. Additionally, soft robotic systems have made it possible to mitigate the risk of surface bruises, rupture, the crushing destruction of plant tissue, and plastic deformation in the harvesting of fruits with a soft rind such as apples, cherries, pears, stone fruits, kiwifruit, mandarins, cucumbers, peaches, and pome. Even though the smart farming technologies, which were developed to mimic nature, could help prevent climate change and enhance the intensification of agriculture, there are concerns about long-term ecological impact, cost, and their inability to complement natural processes such as pollination. Despite the problems, the market for bio-inspired technologies with potential agricultural applications to modernize farming and solve the abovementioned challenges has increased exponentially. Future research and development should lead to low-cost FEA robotic grippers and FEA-tendon-driven grippers for crop harvesting. In brief, soft robots and swarm robotics have immense potential in agriculture.

Impacts of Climate Smart Agriculture Practices on Soil Water Conservation and Maize Productivity in Rainfed Cropping Systems of Uganda

With climate change, maize production is becoming more constrained by limited water availability especially in rainfed production systems. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices have potential to enhance water availability and water use efficiency in rainfed production systems, but their efficiencies have not been adequately investigated. The study evaluated the performance of permanent planting basins (PPB), mulching (M), and halfmoon pits (HM) on soil moisture storage, maize yield, and water use efficiency in a maize cropping system for the sub-humid areas of Uganda for three cropping seasons in Albert region. The control treatment consisted of bare soil as the existing conventional farming practice without any CSA practice. Maize growth parameters and soil moisture storage were monitored and evaluated in each cropping season and CSA treatment. The maize yield, water use efficiency, and evapotranspiration (ET), were determined in each CSA treatment. Results showed that CSA practices significantly increased (P < 0.05) total soil water storage (1–12%) than the control treatment. It was also noted that; the use of M, PPB, and HM increased the water use efficiency by 9 – 68% and 8 – 66% of grain yield compared to the control in the three growing seasons. Our results indicate that even under unreliable and limited precipitation in sub-humid regions, the studied CSA practices indicate a high possibility to increase maize productivity than conventional farming practices (control). These findings are critical as climate change continues to affect maize productivity in rainfed farming systems where there limited supplemental water alternative sources for smallholder farmers. The adoption of CSA practices will enhance the resilience of maize production in sub-humid regions.

Management of abiotic stresses by microbiome-based engineering of the rhizosphere

Abiotic stresses detrimentally affect both plant and soil health, threatening food security in an ever-increasing world population. Sustainable agriculture is necessary to augment crop yield with simultaneous management of stresses. Limitations of conventional bioinoculants has shifted the focus on more effective alternatives. With the realisation of the potential of rhizospheric microbiome engineering in enhancing plant's fitness under stresses, efforts have accelerated in this direction. Though still in its infancy, microbiome-based engineering has gained popularity because of its advantages over microbe-based approach. This review briefly presents major abiotic stresses afflicting arable land, followed by introduction to the conventional approach of microbe-based enhancement of plant attributes and stress mitigation with its inherent limitations. It then focusses on the significance of rhizospheric microbiome, and harnessing its potential by its strategic engineering for stress management. Further, success stories related to two major approaches of microbiome engineering (generation of synthetic microbial community/consortium, and host-mediated artificial selection) pertaining to stress management have been critically presented. Together with bringing forth the challenges associated with wide application of rhizospheric microbiome engineering in agriculture, the review proposes the adoption of combinatorial scheme for the same, bringing together ecological and reductionist approaches for improvised sustainable agricultural practices.

Insights into the beneficial roles of dark septate endophytes in plants under challenging environment: resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses

Dark septate endophytes (DSE) exert a plethora of effects in regulating plant growth, signalling and stress tolerance. The advent of metagenomics has led to the identification of various species of DSE to be associated with plant organs. They are known to modulate growth, nutrient uptake, phytohormone biosynthesis and production of active bioconstituents in several plants. The interactions between the DSE and host plants are mostly mutualistic but they can also be neutral or exhibit negative interactions. The DSE has beneficial role in removal/sequestration of toxic heavy metals from various environmental sites. Here, we discuss the beneficial role of DSE in enhancing plant tolerance to heavy metal stress, drought conditions, high salinity and protection from various plant pathogens. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism of stress resilience facilitated by DSE-plant interaction has also been discussed. The article also provides insights to some important future perspectives associated with DSE-mediated phytoremediation and reclamation of polluted land worldwide thus facilitating sustainable agriculture.

Modifying root-to-shoot ratio improves root water influxes in wheat under drought stress

Drought intensity as experienced by plants depends upon soil moisture status and atmospheric variables such as temperature, radiation, and air vapour pressure deficit. Although the role of shoot architecture with these edaphic and atmospheric factors is well characterized, the extent to which shoot and root dynamic interactions as a continuum are controlled by genotypic variation is less well known. Here, we targeted these interactions using a wild emmer wheat introgression line (IL20) with a distinct drought-induced shift in the shoot-to-root ratio and its drought-sensitive recurrent parent Svevo. Using a gravimetric platform, we show that IL20 maintained higher root water influx and gas exchange under drought stress, which supported a greater growth. Interestingly, the advantage of IL20 in root water influx and transpiration was expressed earlier during the daily diurnal cycle under lower vapour pressure deficit and therefore supported higher transpiration efficiency. Application of a structural equation model indicates that under drought, vapour pressure deficit and radiation are antagonistic to transpiration rate, whereas the root water influx operates as a feedback for the higher atmospheric responsiveness of leaves. Collectively, our results suggest that a drought-induced shift in root-to-shoot ratio can improve plant water uptake potential in a short preferable time window during early morning when vapour pressure deficit is low and the light intensity is not a limiting factor for assimilation.

Regulation of cytokinin biosynthesis using PtRD26pro -IPT module improves drought tolerance through PtARR10-PtYUC4/5-mediated reactive oxygen species removal in Populus

Drought is a critical environmental factor which constrains plant survival and growth. Genetic engineering provides a credible strategy to improve drought tolerance of plants. Here, we generated transgenic poplar lines expressing the isopentenyl transferase gene (IPT) under the driver of PtRD26 promoter (PtRD26_pro -IPT). PtRD26 is a senescence and drought-inducible NAC transcription factor. PtRD26_pro -IPT plants displayed multiple phenotypes, including improved growth and drought tolerance. Transcriptome analysis revealed that auxin biosynthesis pathway was activated in the PtRD26_pro -IPT plants, leading to an increase in auxin contents. Biochemical analysis revealed that ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR10 (PtARR10), one of the type-B ARR transcription factors in the cytokinin pathway, was induced in PtRD26_pro -IPT plants and directly regulated the transcripts of YUCCA4 (PtYUC4) and YUCCA5 (PtYUC5), two enzymes in the auxin biosynthesis pathway. Overexpression of PtYUC4 enhanced drought tolerance, while simultaneous silencing of PtYUC4/5 evidently attenuated the drought tolerance of PtRD26_pro -IPT plants. Intriguingly, PtYUC4/5 displayed a conserved thioredoxin reductase activity that is required for drought tolerance by deterring reactive oxygen species accumulation. Our work reveals the molecular basis of cytokinin and auxin interactions in response to environmental stresses, and shed light on the improvement of drought tolerance without a growth penalty in trees by molecular breeding.

Linking Climate Change Adaptation Strategies and Nutrition Outcomes: A Conceptual Framework

BACKGROUND

The relationship between climate adaptation strategies and nutrition security is poorly understood and often unclear. Although several adaptation strategies have been implemented to mitigate the impact of climate change, there is still a lack of conclusive evidence or studies on the interrelationships between adopted climate change adaptation strategies and nutrition outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed at developing a conceptual framework that links climate change, adaptation strategies and nutrition and show the indicators that can be used to assess the impact of climate adaptation strategies on nutrition.

METHODOLOGY

The proposed conceptual framework was developed through a literature review.

RESULTS

A generic conceptual framework that could be used to assess the impact of adopted climate change adaptation strategies on nutrition outcomes was developed. The framework consists of 5 key elements: Agro-food system, context characteristics, adaptation strategies, climatic shocks and stress, and system output. The principles used in designing the conceptual framework include systems approach, contingency theory, and system output.

CONCLUSION

The developed framework offers a channel to evaluate adopted climate change adaptation strategies and their impact on nutrition outcomes. Such a conceptual framework can also be used in selecting and identifying more suitable climate adaptation strategies given specific contextual environments.

Life cycle assessment of plant cell cultures

A novel food such as plant cell culture (PCC) is an important complementary asset for traditional agriculture to tackle global food insecurity. To evaluate environmental impacts of PCC, a life cycle assessment was applied to tobacco bright yellow-2 and cloudberry PCCs. Global warming potential (GWP), freshwater eutrophication potential (FEUP), marine eutrophication potential, terrestrial acidification potential (TAP), stratospheric ozone depletion, water consumption and land use were assessed. The results showed particularly high contributions (82-93%) of electricity consumption to GWP, FEUP and TAP. Sensitivity analysis indicated that using wind energy instead of the average Finnish electricity mix reduced the environmental impacts by 34-81%. Enhancement in the energy efficiency of bioreactor mixing processes and reduction in cultivation time also effectively improved the environmental performance (4-47% reduction of impacts). In comparison with other novel foods, the environmental impacts of the PCC products studied were mostly comparable to those of microalgae products but higher than those of microbial protein products produced by autotrophic hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria. Assayed fresh PCC products were similar or close to GWP of conventionally grown food products and, with technological advancements, can be highly competitive.

Empirical Evidence of the Livelihood Vulnerability to Climate Change Impacts: A Case of Potato-Based Mountain Farming Systems in Bhutan

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is an indispensable commodity, mainly cultivated by high-altitude mountain households, that sustains and supports the livelihood of an overwhelming 51% of the Bhutanese population. The popularity of potato cultivation among Bhutanese farmers can be attributed to the crop’s adaptability to a wide range of agroclimatic conditions such as a rainfed crop, high productivity, an assured market, and a reliable source of income for the farming families. We hypothesize that the changing climate would make the livelihood associated with potato cultivation in Bhutan more vulnerable. We tested this hypothesis to identify the sources of vulnerability of smallholder farming households using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and LVI-IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) approaches in six potato growing districts of Bhutan: Bumthang, Chukha, Gasa, Mongar, Tashigang, and Wangdue. Primary data were generated through a semi structured sample survey of 240 households on the seven major livelihood components of sociodemographic profiles, livelihood strategies, social networks, health, food, water, natural disasters, and climate variability. The results showed that the LVI (range 0.302 to 0.375) and LVI-IPCC (range −0.005 to 0.030) differed significantly (p < 0.001) across the districts. The districts of Tashigang and Mongar were less vulnerable than the other four districts by the LVI approach, whereas Bumthang was also revealed to be less vulnerable using the LVI-IPCC approach. The degree of vulnerability in a district differed according to their level of exposure and adaptive capacity to the climate change impacts of the potato farming household. The results are expected to serve as empirical evidence for designing a future course of actions to mitigate the negative impacts.

The impact of climate change on agricultural productivity in Asian countries: a heterogeneous panel data approach

While climate change is having serious impacts on agriculture and may require ongoing adaptation, short-run threats to global food security are also crucial for developing countries. We use dynamic and asymmetric panel autoregressive distributed lag estimators to investigate how the effects of climate change on agricultural productivity vary depending upon the short run and long run in Asia over the period of 1980-2016. The results confirmed that there is a long-run relationship between agricultural productivity and climate change variables; however, only CO₂ emissions could be linked to agricultural productivity in the short run. Moreover, while the direction of this effect is positive for the short run, it turns into negative in the long run confirming that carbon fertilization in the atmosphere can to some extent have a positive effect on agricultural productivity.

Habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense) adaptation to water-deficit stress in a protected agricultural system

Drought is one of the major factors limiting global crop yield. In Mexico, agriculture is expected to be severely affected by drought. The Capsicum genus has several crop species of agricultural importance. In this work, we analysed the Capsicum chinense plant physiological responses and differentially expressed genes under water stress mainly focused on the responses elicited following recovery through repetitive stress. Plants were cultivated in an experimental block. Each block consisted of plants under water deficit and a control group without deficit. Morphometric and functional parameters, and the expression of genes related to resistance to abiotic stresses were measured. Morphological differences were observed. Plants subjected to water deficit showed impaired growth. Nonetheless, in the physiological parameters, no differences were observed between treatments. We selected abiotic stress-related genes that include heat-shock proteins (HSPs), heat-shock factors (HSFs), transcription factors related to abiotic stress (MYB, ETR1 , and WRKY ), and those associated with biotic and abiotic stress responses (Jar1 and Lox2 ). HSF, HSP, MYB72, ETR1, Jar1, WRKYa , and Lox2 genes were involved in the response to water-deficit stress in C. chinense plants. In conclusion, our work may improve our understanding of the morphological, physiological, and molecular mechanisms underlying hydric stress response in C. chinense .

Modeling the impact of climatic and non-climatic factors on cereal production: evidence from Indian agricultural sector

The underpinned study examines the effects of climatic and non-climatic factors on Indian agriculture, cereal production, and yield using the country-level time series data of 1965-2015. With the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach, the long-term equilibrium association among the variables has been explored. The results reveal that climatic factors like CO2 emissions and temperature adversely affect agricultural output, while rainfall positively affects it. Likewise, non-climatic factors, including energy used, financial development, and labor force, affect agricultural production positively in the long run. The estimated long-run results further demonstrate that CO2 emissions and rainfall positively affect both cereal production and yield, while temperature adversely affects them. The results exhibit that the cereal cropped area, energy used, financial development, and labor force significantly and positively impact the long-run cereal production and yield. Finally, pairwise Granger causality test confirmed that both climatic and non-climatic factors are significantly influencing agriculture and cereal production in India. Based on these results, policymakers and governmental institutions should formulate coherent adaptation measures and mitigation policies to tackle the adverse climate change effects on agriculture and its production of cereals.

Hotspots of Yield Loss for Four Crops of the Belt and Road Terrestrial Countries under 1.5 °C Global Warming

The Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) shows that climate change poses severe risks to the Belt and Road region and could cut future crop production. Identifying the positions and features of hotspots, which refer to regions with severe yield loss at 1.5 °C global warming, is the key to developing proper mitigation and adaptation policies to ensure regional food security. This study examined yield loss hotspots of four crops (maize, rice, soybean and wheat) at 1.5 °C global warming under RCP8.5. Yield data were derived from simulations of multiple climate-crop model ensembles from the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI-MIP). Hotspots were identified by setting a threshold of the 10th percentile of crop yields during the reference period (1986–2005). To quantify the likelihood of crop yield loss hotspots within multi-model ensembles, the agreement of model combinations for hotspots was calculated for each crop at the grid scale with 0.5° × 0.5° spatial resolution. Results revealed spatial heterogeneity of cultivation structure and hotspot likelihood for four crops. The four crops’ production of SA (South Asia) and SEA (Southeast Asia) accounts for more than 40% of the total production in the Belt and Road region, roughly four times the amount produced in CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) and NEA (Northeast Asia). Besides, the hotspots likelihood of maize, rice and soybean is generally larger in SA/SEA than that in CEE/NEA which means the risk of yield reduction is higher in the current main agricultural area. According to IPCC’s classification rules for likelihood, four crops’ hotspot patterns were displayed under the 1.5 °C global warming. As the highest-yielding crop, maize shows the largest proportion of “likely” hotspots (hotspot likelihood > 66%), which is about 6.48%, accounting for more than four times that of the other three crops. In addition, four crops’ hotspots are mainly distributed in SEA and SA. Overall, SEA and SA are vulnerable subregions and maize is the vulnerable crop of the Belt and Road region. Our results could provide information on target areas where mitigation or adaptations are needed to reduce the adverse influence of climate change in the agricultural system.

The Potential Role of Microbial Biostimulants in the Amelioration of Climate Change-Associated Abiotic Stresses on Crops

Crop plants are more often exposed to abiotic stresses in the current age of fast-evolving climate change. This includes exposure to extreme and unpredictable changes in climatic conditions, phytosanitary hazards, and cultivation conditions, which results in drastic losses in worldwide agricultural productions. Plants coexist with microbial symbionts, some of which play key roles in the ecosystem and plant processes. The application of microbial biostimulants, which take advantage of symbiotic relationships, is a long-term strategy for improving plant productivity and performance, even in the face of climate change-associated stresses. Beneficial filamentous fungi, yeasts, and bacteria are examples of microbial biostimulants, which can boost the growth, yield, nutrition and stress tolerance in plants. This paper highlights recent information about the role of microbial biostimulants and their potential application in mitigating the abiotic stresses occurring on crop plants due to climate change. A critical evaluation for their efficient use under diverse climatic conditions is also made. Currently, accessible products generally improve cultural conditions, but their action mechanisms are mostly unknown, and their benefits are frequently inconsistent. Thus, further studies that could lead to the more precisely targeted products are discussed.

Screening of Onion (Allium cepa L.) Genotypes for Waterlogging Tolerance

Onion production is severely affected by waterlogging conditions, which are created due to heavy rainfall. Hence, the identification of waterlogging-tolerant onion genotypes is crucial for increasing onion production. In the present study, 100 distinct onion genotypes were screened for waterlogging tolerance under artificial conditions by using the phenotypic approach in the monsoon season of 2017. Based on plant survival and recovery and changes in bulb weight, we identified 19 tolerant, 27 intermediate tolerant, and 54 highly sensitive onion genotypes. The tolerant genotypes exhibited higher plant survival and better recovery and bulb size, whereas sensitive genotypes exhibited higher plant mortality, poor recovery, and small bulb size under waterlogging conditions. Furthermore, a subset of 12 contrasting genotypes was selected for field trials during monsoon seasons 2018 and 2019. Results revealed that considerable variation in the morphological, physiological, and yield characteristics were observed across the genotypes under stress conditions. Waterlogging-tolerant genotypes, namely, Acc. 1666, Acc. 1622, W-355, W-208, KH-M-2, and RGP-5, exhibited higher plant height, leaf number, leaf area, leaf length, chlorophyll content, membrane stability index (MSI), pyruvic acid, antioxidant content, and bulb yield than sensitive genotypes under stress conditions. Furthermore, the principal component analysis biplot revealed a strong association of leaf number, leaf area, chlorophyll content, MSI, and bulb yield with tolerant genotypes under stress conditions. The study indicates that the waterlogging-tolerant onion genotypes with promising stress-adaptive traits can be used in plant breeding programs for developing waterlogging-tolerant onion varieties.

Os impactos das mudanças climáticas na Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional: uma revisão da literatura

Resumo A interface entre as Mudanças Climáticas e a Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional (SAN) tem se destacado na agenda de desenvolvimento sustentável desde o início da década de 1990. Desde então, estudos demonstram que as mudanças climáticas possuem efeitos negativos na SAN, potencializados pela pobreza e desigualdade social. O objetivo deste artigo é realizar uma revisão relacionando mudanças climáticas e SAN. A pesquisa foi realizada no PubMed utilizando os descritores “climate change and food security” no título, selecionando somente artigos em português, espanhol e inglês e com relação direta com os temas. Os principais impactos das mudanças climáticas na SAN foram no acesso, produção, qualidade nutricional e volatilidade dos preços dos alimentos. Estratégias de mitigação/adaptação aos efeitos das mudanças climáticas na SAN também foram apontadas nos estudos, além de um panorama geográfico das publicações com domínio de estudos na África e Ásia, continentes marcados por desigualdade social e pobreza. As mudanças climáticas afetam as dimensões da SAN, especialmente em populações mais pobres e em situação de desigualdade social. A relevância dos temas suscita a premência de maior investimento em políticas públicas, estudos e pesquisas acerca da temática no mundo.

Opportunities and limits of controlled-environment plant phenotyping for climate response traits

Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns will affect agricultural production substantially, exposing crops to extended and more intense periods of stress. Therefore, breeding of varieties adapted to the constantly changing conditions is pivotal to enable a quantitatively and qualitatively adequate crop production despite the negative effects of climate change. As it is not yet possible to select for adaptation to future climate scenarios in the field, simulations of future conditions in controlled-environment (CE) phenotyping facilities contribute to the understanding of the plant response to special stress conditions and help breeders to select ideal genotypes which cope with future conditions. CE phenotyping facilities enable the collection of traits that are not easy to measure under field conditions and the assessment of a plant's phenotype under repeatable, clearly defined environmental conditions using automated, non-invasive, high-throughput methods. However, extrapolation and translation of results obtained under controlled environments to field environments is ambiguous. This review outlines the opportunities and challenges of phenotyping approaches under controlled environments complementary to conventional field trials. It gives an overview on general principles and introduces existing phenotyping facilities that take up the challenge of obtaining reliable and robust phenotypic data on climate response traits to support breeding of climate-adapted crops.

Rainfall Variability and Trends over the African Continent Using TAMSAT Data (1983–2020): Towards Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation

This study reveals rainfall variability and trends in the African continent using TAMSAT data from 1983 to 2020. In the study, a Mann–Kendall (MK) test and Sen’s slope estimator were used to analyze rainfall trends and their magnitude, respectively, under monthly, seasonal, and annual timeframes as an indication of climate change using different natural and geographical contexts (i.e., sub-regions, climate zones, major river basins, and countries). The study finds that the highest annual rainfall trends were recorded in Rwanda (11.97 mm/year), the Gulf of Guinea (river basin 8.71 mm/year), the tropical rainforest climate zone (8.21 mm/year), and the Central African region (6.84 mm/year), while Mozambique (−0.437 mm/year), the subtropical northern desert (0.80 mm/year), the west coast river basin of South Africa (−0.360 mm/year), and the Northern Africa region (1.07 mm/year) show the lowest annual rainfall trends. There is a statistically significant increase in the rainfall in the countries of Africa’s northern and central regions, while there is no statistically significant change in the countries of the southern and eastern regions. In terms of climate zones, in the tropical northern desert climates, tropical northern peninsulas, and tropical grasslands, there is a significant increase in rainfall over the entire timeframe of the month, season, and year. This implies that increased rainfall will have a positive effect on the food security of the countries in those climatic zones. Since a large percentage of Africa’s agriculture is based only on rainfall (i.e., rain-fed agriculture), increasing trends in rainfall can assist climate resilience and adaptation, while declining rainfall trends can badly affect it. This information can be crucial for decision-makers concerned with effective crop planning and water resource management. The rainfall variability and trend analysis of this study provide important information to decision-makers that need to effectively mitigate drought and flood risk.