WASHINGTON — In recent years, we are experiencing an increased occurrence of summer heat waves and drought, which can have negative impacts on agricultural production, the agricultural economy and regional and state economies.
“Heat stress is a big deal,” says Walter Gassmann, director of the Bond Life Sciences Center at the University of Missouri in Columbia. “We have to understand and work on promising new avenues of alleviation and implement those that are available for the long-term strength of our rural economies.”
Plant scientists at the University of California San Diego describe the specific mechanisms throughout the life cycle of crop plants that are most vulnerable to heat and how this affects crop productivity. They discuss the present and future economic impacts of heat stress in agriculture and highlight new and upcoming mitigation strategies.
Read and download the complete report here: Impacts of Summer Heat Waves and Increasing Temperatures on Agriculture (PDF).
–University of California San Diego
For more articles concerning climate issues, click here.