Integrating pests and pathogens into the climate change/food security debate
TL;DR: More mechanistic inclusion of pests and pathogen effects in crop models would lead to more realistic predictions of crop production on a regional scale and thereby assist in the development of more robust regional food security policies.
Abstract: While many studies have demonstrated the sensitivities of plants and of crop yield to a changing climate, a major challenge for the agricultural research community is to relate these findings to the broader societal concern with food security. This paper reviews the direct effects of climate on both crop growth and yield and on plant pests and pathogens and the interactions that may occur between crops, pests, and pathogens under changed climate. Finally, we consider the contribution that better understanding of the roles of pests and pathogens in crop production systems might make to enhanced food security. Evidence for the measured climate change on crops and their associated pests and pathogens is starting to be documented. Globally atmospheric [CO(2)] has increased, and in northern latitudes mean temperature at many locations has increased by about 1.0-1.4 degrees C with accompanying changes in pest and pathogen incidence and to farming practices. Many pests and pathogens exhibit considerable capacity for generating, recombining, and selecting fit combinations of variants in key pathogenicity, fitness, and aggressiveness traits that there is little doubt that any new opportunities resulting from climate change will be exploited by them. However, the interactions between crops and pests and pathogens are complex and poorly understood in the context of climate change. More mechanistic inclusion of pests and pathogen effects in crop models would lead to more realistic predictions of crop production on a regional scale and thereby assist in the development of more robust regional food security policies.
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TL;DR: This article conducted parallel participatory modeling processes in three countries in West Africa with similar climates and small-holder agricultural systems, but widely differing political and cultural contexts, and concluded that participatory systems methods are a valuable addition to the suite of methodologies for analyzing climate risk.
Abstract: Participatory modeling has been widely recognized in recent years as a powerful tool for dealing with risk and uncertainty. By incorporating multiple perspectives into the structure of a model, we hypothesize that sources of risk can be identified and analyzed more comprehensively compared to traditional ‘expert-driven’ models. However, one of the weaknesses of a participatory modeling process is that it is typically not feasible to involve more than a few dozen people in model creation, and valuable perspectives on sources of risk may therefore be absent. We sought to address this weakness by conducting parallel participatory modeling processes in three countries in West Africa with similar climates and smallholder agricultural systems, but widely differing political and cultural contexts. Stakeholders involved in the agricultural sector in Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria participated in either a scenario planning process or a causal loop diagramming process, in which they were asked about drivers of agricultural productivity and food security, and sources of risk, including climate risk, between the present and mid-century (2035–2050). Participants in all three workshops identified both direct and indirect sources of climate risk, as they interact with other critical drivers of agricultural systems change, such as water availability, political investment in agriculture, and land availability. We conclude that participatory systems methods are a valuable addition to the suite of methodologies for analyzing climate risk and that scientists and policy-makers would do well to consider dynamic interactions between drivers of risk when assessing the resilience of agricultural systems to climate change.
26 citations
Cites background from "Integrating pests and pathogens int..."
...Pest and disease outbreaks are another climate change-associated risk, although empirical data from West Africa on this topic are extremely limited (Todd et al. 2002; Gregory et al. 2009)....
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TL;DR: Fungal plant pathogens causing cereal diseases in Finland have been studied by a literature survey, and a field survey of cereal leaf spot diseases conducted in 2009, which found that oat fields had the fewest fungal diseases.
Abstract: Fungal plant pathogens causing cereal diseases in Finland have been studied by a literature survey, and a field survey of cereal leaf spot diseases conducted in 2009. Fifty-seven cereal fungal diseases have been identified in Finland. The first available references on different cereal fungal pathogens were published in 1868 and the most recent reports are on the emergence of Ramularia collo-cygni and Fusarium langsethiae in 2001. The incidence of cereal leaf spot diseases has increased during the last 40 years. Based on the field survey done in 2009 in Finland, Pyrenophora teres was present in 86%, Cochliobolus sativus in 90% and Rhynchosporium secalis in 52% of the investigated barley fields. Mycosphaerella graminicola was identified for the first time in Finnish spring wheat fields, being present in 6% of the studied fields. Stagonospora nodorum was present in 98% and Pyrenophora tritici-repentis in 94% of spring wheat fields. Oat fields had the fewest fungal diseases. Pyrenophora chaetomioides was present in 63% and Cochliobolus sativus in 25% of the oat fields studied.
25 citations
10 Dec 2019
TL;DR: Ewert as discussed by the authors provides an excellent coverage of advances on key topics in crop modelling for a sustainable agriculture and a comprehensive interdisciplinary overview of current knowledge and challenges in crop modeling presented by the distinguished editor and the internationally well recognized contributing authors.
Abstract: Endorsement: “This book provides an excellent coverage of advances on key topics in crop modelling for a sustainable agriculture. The comprehensive interdisciplinary overview of current knowledge and challenges in crop modelling presented by the distinguished editor and the internationally well recognized contributing authors should become a key reference in this field of research.” Frank Ewert, Professor of Crop Science, University of Bonn and Scientific Director of the Leibniz Center of Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Germany
24 citations
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: The project Poverty Alleviation and Enhanced Food Availability in West Africa through Improved Yam Technologies proposed to improve yam production in five West African countries (Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d'Ivore) during the period from 2000 to 2003 as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The project Poverty Alleviation and Enhanced Food Availability in West Africa through Improved Yam Technologies proposed to improve yam production in five West African countries (Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire) during the period from 2000 to 2003. A recognized need for productive, stable yambased systems is the maintenance of soil fertility. Trials were initiated in each country on the fertilizer needs of yam and in several countries on improved fallows or leguminous intercrops. A review of information was also recommended with the objective of guiding future research. A search of all available literature was agreed, including sources with poor accessibility (grey literature) that might be available in NARS libraries. Background
24 citations
References
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01 Jan 2007
TL;DR: The first volume of the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report as mentioned in this paper was published in 2007 and covers several topics including the extensive range of observations now available for the atmosphere and surface, changes in sea level, assesses the paleoclimatic perspective, climate change causes both natural and anthropogenic, and climate models for projections of global climate.
Abstract: This report is the first volume of the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report. It covers several topics including the extensive range of observations now available for the atmosphere and surface, changes in sea level, assesses the paleoclimatic perspective, climate change causes both natural and anthropogenic, and climate models for projections of global climate.
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01 Jul 2001
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors set the stage for impact, adaptation, and vulnerability assessment of climate change in the context of sustainable development and equity, and developed and applied scenarios in Climate Change Impact, Adaptation, and Vulnerability Assessment.
Abstract: Summary for policymakers Technical summary Part I. Setting the Stage for Impact, Adaptation, and Vulnerability Assessment: 1. Overview 2. Methods and tools 3. Development and application of scenarios in Climate Change Impact, Adaptation, and Vulnerability Assessment Part II. Sectors and Systems: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability: 4. Hydrology and water resources 5. Natural and managed ecosystems 6. Coastal zones and marine ecosystems 7. Energy, industry, and settlements 8. Financial services 9. Human health Part III. Regional Analyses: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability: 10. Africa 11. Asia 12. Australasia 13. Europe 14. Latin America 15. North America 16. Polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic) 17. Small island states Part IV. Global Issues and Synthesis: 18. Adaptation to climate change in the context of sustainable development and equity 19. Synthesis and integration of impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability Index.
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01 Jan 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a cross-chapter case study on climate change and sustainability in natural and managed systems and assess key vulnerabilities and the risk from climate change, and assess adaptation practices, options, constraints and capacity.
Abstract: Foreword Preface Introduction Summary for policymakers Technical summary 1. Assessment of observed changes and responses in natural and managed systems 2. New assessment methodologies and the characterisation of future conditions 3. Fresh water resources and their management 4. Ecosystems, their properties, goods and services 5. Food, fibre and forest products 6. Coastal systems and low-lying areas 7. Industry, settlement and society 8. Human health 9. Africa 10. Asia 11. Australia and New Zealand 12. Europe 13. Latin America 14. North America 15. Polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic) 16. Small islands 17. Assessment of adaptation practices, options, constraints and capacity 18. Inter-relationships between adaptation and mitigation 19. Assessing key vulnerabilities and the risk from climate change 20. Perspectives on climate change and sustainability - 811 Cross-chapter case studies Appendix I. Glossary Appendix II. Contributors to the IPCC WGII Fourth Assessment Report Appendix III. Reviewers of the IPCC WGII Fourth Assessment Report Appendix IV. Acronyms and abbreviations Appendix V. Index and database of regional content Index CD-ROM.
8,465 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a document, redatto, voted and pubblicato by the Ipcc -Comitato intergovernativo sui cambiamenti climatici - illustra la sintesi delle ricerche svolte su questo tema rilevante.
Abstract: Cause, conseguenze e strategie di mitigazione Proponiamo il primo di una serie di articoli in cui affronteremo l’attuale problema dei mutamenti climatici. Presentiamo il documento redatto, votato e pubblicato dall’Ipcc - Comitato intergovernativo sui cambiamenti climatici - che illustra la sintesi delle ricerche svolte su questo tema rilevante.
4,187 citations