February 25, 2011

Examining climate change effects on wheat

Wheat growers in the Southwest have a better idea about how to adjust to climate change in the decades ahead, thanks to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists in Arizona. Researchers with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) installed infrared heaters in experimental wheat fields at the agency's Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center in Maricopa, Ariz, to simulate growing conditions expected by 2050.

ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency, and this research supports the USDA priority of responding to climate change. Wheat is normally planted in Arizona in mid-winter, harvested in late May and irrigated throughout its growing season. Temperatures can range from below freezing in winter to above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in May. But increasing temperatures can drastically reduce yields and increase the threat of drought, making climate change a major concern. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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