To help guide the priorities of scientists, funding agencies and policy makers as they decide how best to respond to the impacts of climate change on today's and tomorrow's agricultural systems, the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) announced today the position statement it has established on “Crop Adaptation to Climate Change."
Researched and composed by a working group of scientists from academia and industry, the statement reviews the impacts of variable weather conditions arising from climate change on cropping systems; reports the progress to date in adapting crops and management practices to these new conditions; and offers focus areas for increasing the speed at which global agricultural systems can further adapt.
In particular, the statement calls for rapid expansion of research programs to understand the physiological, genetic and molecular basis of adaptation to the drought, heat and biological stresses that will likely result from climate change. A robust and sustainable infrastructure is also needed, the statement says, to translate new knowledge into real-world practices for farmers, and make new crop varieties, technologies and innovations widely available to increase food production and stability around the globe. Read the full report here.
Source: Newswise, Madison, WI.
