The article aims to present a systemic and comparative framework to study adaptation to climate change in agricultural systems. Mediterranean viticulture, projected to experience significant and rapid changes in climate, is used as a case study. We apply an international socio-ecological approach focusing on viticulture in Roussillon (France) and McLaren Vale (Australia). Mixed-methods, including analysis of meteorological data, semi-structured interviews and field observations, guide an analysis of the exposure, sensitivity and adaptation of the two viticultural systems to climate change. We found that the exposure to climate change is likely to become more acute in the two regions by 2060, and that the sensitivity and adaptive capacity of viticultural systems to such change depend strongly on the complex interaction of ecological and socio-economic factors. Most studies focusing on viticulture and climate change are either oriented towards plant physiology, phenological modelling or the economic future of the industry in one region. The research bridges discipline approaches to provide a holistic comparative analysis to guide adaptation, and argues that socio-ecological analyses will become increasingly important to support adaptation decision-making.

Study from the Mediterranean wine industry in France and Australia

Working paper abstract (100-250 words): While the scientific, technical and policy components of the climate change issue are of critical importance, climate change is also a cultural issue. More importantly, it is a highly contested cultural issue in which competing movements engage in discursive debates – or framing battles – over the interpretation of the problem and the necessity of solutions. This dimension of the issue is overlooked because social scientists who can identify and analyze it have been notably absent from the public debate. Even more surprising, they have largely neglected to attend to the issue even within their own academic realms. In fact, our social science discipline either takes a relatively dismissive attitude toward those who challenge the scientific view that climate change is real – dubbed “climate skeptics” – or subscribes to them sinister motives and neglects their beliefs altogether. In this essay, I argue that this neglect is a problem and highlight how researchers can advance their scholarship and social relevance by studying the ongoing debate over climate change.

The Culture and Discourse of Climate Skepticism

The Stern ReviewA Report by Baroness Vivien Stern CBE of an Independent Review into How Rape Complaints are Handled by Public Authorities in England and WalesGovernment Equalities OfficeHome Office Crown Copyright 2010 (301054)

Heterosis and combining ability was studied for grain yield, days to tasseling, days to silking, plant height and ear height in a diallel cross involving seven elite maize inbred lines. Variance due to GCA and SCA were highly significant for the characters studied, indicating both additive and non-additive type of gene action were important for controlling the traits. Predominance of non-additive gene action was observed for all the traits. Standard heterosis for grain yield ranged from -17.60 to 9.71%. For other traits, desirable heterosis varied from -0.10 to -4.42%; -0.03 to -4.20%; -2.44 to -42.11% and -1.33 to -21.87% for days to tasseling, days to silking, plant height and ear height, respectively. Parent Q7 was the best general combiner for higher grain yield coupled with dwarfness, and Q1 was also good general combiner for grain yield and lateness in maturity. For other traits, parent Q2, Q3 and Q4 were found suitable both for days to tasseling and silking and Q4, Q5 and Q7 for both plant and ear height showing desirable significant negative GCA effects and simultaneously possessed desirable high mean values, indicating that per se performance of the parents could prove as an useful index for combining ability. Additive × additive, additive × dominance and dominance × dominance gene interactions were involved in deriving good specific cross for yield. The cross combinations Q1 × Q7, Q2 × Q3, Q4 × Q6 and Q6 × Q7 possessing significant desirable SCA effects and high heterotic values might be used for obtaining high yielding hybrids.

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Heterosis and combining ability in a diallel among elite inbred lines of maize(zea mays l.)

Evapotranspiration (ET) is the second largest component of the water cycle in arid and semiarid environments, and, in fact, more than 60% of the precipitation on earth is returned to the atmosphere through it MOD16 represents an operational source of ET estimates with adequate spatial resolution for several applications, such as water resources planning, at a regional scale However, the use of these estimates in routine applications will require MOD16 evaluation and validation using accurate ground-based measurements The main objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the MOD16A2 product by comparing it with eddy covariance (EC) systems Additional objectives were the analysis of the limitations, uncertainties, and possible improvements of the MOD16-estimated ET The EC measurements were acquired for five sites and for a variety of land covers in northwestern Mexico The indicators used for the comparison were: root mean square error (RMSE), bias (BIAS), concordance index (d), and determination coefficient (R2) of the correlation, comparing measured and modelled ET The best performance was observed in Rayon (RMSE = 077 mm∙day−1, BIAS = −046 mm∙day−1, d = 088, and R2 = 086); El Mogor and La Paz showed errors and coefficients of determination comparable to each other (RMSE = 039 mm·day−1, BIAS = −004 mm∙day−1, R2 = 046 and RMSE = 042 mm·day−1, BIAS = −018 mm∙day−1, R2 = 045, respectively) In most cases, MOD16 underestimated the ET values

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/10/7/901/pdf

Performance Assessment of MOD16 in Evapotranspiration Evaluation in Northwestern Mexico

Con la finalidad de conocer la variacion del maiz (Zea mays L.) de la region del Istmo de Tehuantepec, considerada el area de distribucion de la raza Zapalote Chico, se colectaron 120 poblaciones nativas, mas 12 poblaciones tipicas de otras razas descritas. Las 132 poblaciones se evaluaron en tres localidades, caracterizandolas con 18 variables cuantitativas, principalmente sobre estructuras reproductivas. Con el auxilio de un analisis de componentes principales se observaron seis grupos, tres de ellos integraron poblaciones conocidas regionalmente como Maiz Chico, correspondientes a la raza Zapalote Chico con valores menores en variables de naturaleza reproductiva, vegetativa y fenologica; los otros tres grupos agregaron poblaciones denominadas regionalmente como Maiz Grande, con valores altos de las mismas variables, y corresponden a una amplia base de la raza Zapalote Chico, con introgresion de las razas Vandeno, Tepecintle y Tuxpeno. La variacion genetica del maiz se relaciona con la variacion ambiental determinada por la altitud, humedad relativa y con la disponibilidad de humedad en el suelo, senalando a la planicie costera del Istmo Oaxaqueno como el area de distribucion natural de la raza Zapalote Chico. Se obtuvo un dendrograma usando distancias euclidianas con el metodo de agrupamiento de vecinos, que revela que los grupos de Maiz Grande evolucionaron hacia poblaciones tardias, y los de Maiz Chico hacia poblaciones precoces y tardias. Se concluye que en la region existe variacion genetica a nivel de raza y entre poblaciones de la raza Zapalote Chico.

Caracterización morfológica de poblaciones nativas de maíz del istmo de tehuantepec, méxico

Societal responses to climate change are influenced by culture, but this has not been the focus of understanding and adapting to this phenomenon. This process is critical when examining agriculture, an eminently social activity that has an historic perspective and characteristic manners of production expressed by the culture carrying it out. Therefore, the present study analyzes and compares the theoretical–conceptual approaches used in the role of culture in agricultural adaptation to climate change, given the paradigmatic bias in each. This information is essential for the design and implementation of agricultural adaptation strategies having social and cultural viability.

Sociocultural dimension in agriculture adaptation to climate change

The objective was to select maize (Zea mays L.) lines, based on the effects of general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA) and heterosis, for the formation of single crosses. During the spring-summer 2008 cycle, 120 single crosses with the combination of 16 lines of white grain maize were evaluated. To estimate the GCA and SCA effects, the method IV, model I of Griffing's method, was used, in an alpha lattice design with two 16 x 8 repetitions. The results revealed that there are lines with good GCA: LRB-14RC2-1-1, LT-154RC2-1-2, LT-155RC2-1-1, VS-536RC2-1-1, VS-536RC2-1-1, CML-264Q and CML-159. The crosses LT-155RC2-1-1xVS-536RC2-1-1, CABGRC2-1-3xD-539RC2-1-1 and D-539RC2-1-1xCML-159 showed the greatest effects of SCA. Of the inbred lines evaluated, LRB-14RC2-1-1, LT-154RC2-1-2, LT-155RC2-1-1, VS-536RC2-1-1, VS-536RC2-1-1, FAM. V-537C, CML-264Q and CML-159 showed the greatest varietal effect values, considering that there is greater additive gene action and that formation of synthetic varieties is possible. The crosses LT155RC2-1-1xVS536RC2-1-1, CABGRC2-1-3xD-539RC2-1-1 and D-539RC2-1-1xCML-159 showed high ACE effects and high heterosis levels, adequate for the formation of maize hybrids. The use of diallel designs to estimate GCA and SCA in inbred lines and their crosses allowed knowing the most efficient breeding method.

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Combining ability in maize lines using a diallel cross

The Heliconias have a great potential as a cut flower and for this reason an adequate management of the crop is important. The objective of this research was the application of soil amendments (Biol and superabsorbent polymers - SAP) and the analysis on their effect in the growth of Heliconia psittacorum cv. Tropica. An experiment was established using a completely randomized design with four treatments and five repetitions: SAP (1 g plant-1), biol (20 mL plant-1) + SAP (1 g plant-1), biol (20 mL plant-1) and one control (without application). A 20 cm rhizome was planted per pot and were evaluated the height of the plant, the number of leaves, the leaf area and the number of shoots were measured. The analysis of variance did not show statistical differences (p ≤ 0.05) between treatments for the variables of the height of the plant, the leaf area and the number of shoots, but statistical differences were found for the variable number of leaves (p ≤ 0.05), and the best treatments were Biol, SAP, and Biol + SAP. With the application of the biol and SAP amendments, it was not possible to increase the plant height, the leaf area and the number of Heliconia shoots. Regarding the application of SAP to the not found significant results in Heliconia, it is expected that treatments with SAP show a better effect in the dry season.

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Application of soil amendments and their effect in the growth of heliconia

The use of sugarcane varieties having high agroindustrial production, that are resistant to primary pests and diseases and are well adapted to regional conditions is a key factor for increasing the yield of this crop. The objective of this study was to agronomically and industrially evaluate a set of 12 sugarcane varieties in terms of their planting and ratoon cycles. This investigation used methodological protocols developed by the Instituto para el Mejoramiento de la Produccion de Azucar (IMPA) (Institute for the Improvement of Sugarcane Production) to assess the agroindustrial potential of new varieties. The 12 varieties were evaluated by testing them under the same management and climate conditions. An experimental design of completely randomized blocks and three replicates was used. Yield (t ha -1 ) and sucrose content (%) were assessed. There were no significant differences for yield (p > 0.05) with regard to planting cycle. Control variety Q-96 had the highest sucrose content (15.95%). For the ratoon cycle, the highest yield corresponded to variety L 73-65 with 178 t ha -1 , and the lowest value was for variety HA 64-20 having 107 t ha -1 . Variety Mex 91-662 had the greatest sucrose content (17.66%) and its yield (171 t ha -1 ) shows that this variety has great promise for the sugarcane zone supplying the El Modelo refinery and for the state of Veracruz.

/pdf/agroindustrial-evaluation-of-sugarcane-varieties-in-the-3f45j0p6bg.pdf

Gustavo López-Romero

Papers

Caracterización morfológica de poblaciones nativas de maíz del istmo de tehuantepec, méxico

Sociocultural dimension in agriculture adaptation to climate change

Combining ability in maize lines using a diallel cross

Application of soil amendments and their effect in the growth of heliconia

Agroindustrial Evaluation of Sugarcane Varieties in the Central Zone of Veracruz, Mexico