Climate change could decrease the yield of some crops in California by up to 40 percent by 2050. That’s a big deal for farmers growing more than 400 commodities.
Tapan Pathak, a UC Cooperative Extension specialist based in Merced, and his research team analyzed more than 90 studies on climate change and discovered that warming temperatures may alter where crops grow across California. Their findings were published in Agronomy Journal.
“In order to make California agriculture more sustainable we have to act now,” Pathak said.
As the climate continues to change and drought and heat waves become more frequent, Pathak says the challenges agriculture will face are going to intensify. He’s referring to things like how the lack of cold temperatures will impact trees that need a certain number of chill-hours, or sleep each year, as well as increased impacts from pests and diseases.
“That could adversely impact yields and production for some highly valued crops in California,” Pathak said.
The study also points out that climatic conditions — warming temperatures and a shrinking snowpack — by the end of 21st century may make it difficult for the state to support some of its main tree crops. But Pathak says crops planted yearly, like alfalfa, could yield more as temperatures increase.
He hopes farmers and state agencies take the research roundup seriously by implementing new practices, such as breeding heat-tolerant crops.
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