Large potential for crop production adaptation depends on available future varieties

On crop production and the balance of available resources

One of the main insights achieved in the early days of agricultural science is that each environment has a specific balance of resources, which is available to the crop. This balance determines crop production, the effect of resource addition and the effect of agronomic operations. However, attempts to quantify this balance are scarce. It is normally taken into account indirectly by a general d...

Potential Impacts of and Adaptation to Future Climate Change for Crop Farms: A Case Study of Flathead Valley, Montana

Adaptation of Boreal Field Crop Production to Climate Change

Climate change adaptation in crop production: Beware of illusions

A primary goal of studying climate change adaptation is to estimate the net impacts of climate change. Many potential changes in agricultural management and technology, including shifts in crop phenology and improved drought and heat tolerance, would help to improve crop productivity but do not necessarily represent true adaptations. Here the importance of retaining a strict definition of adapt...

Alfalfa: Crop for the Future

Alfalfa use by dairy cattle has decreased in recent years because of excessive nonprotein nitrogen and low fiber digestibility. Ideal attributes for plant modification of alfalfa may include those that increase milk potential per acre and/or per ton, enhance digestible NDF, improve protein content and amino acid balance, improve agronomic traits for insect protection (safer forage supply), herb...