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Growing crops in future weather conditions

Researchers at the University of Minnesota are studying crop production using future weather models.

Professor Tim Griffis says the National Science Foundation developed large growth chambers called mesocosms that he and his colleagues use to grow corn under projected climate conditions.

“We’re starting to see increased precipitation, mainly in the spring.  And more extreme precipitation events.  We’ve also observed an annual increase in air temperature over the last century in the U.S. Corn Belt of about .7 degrees Celsius.”

He tells Brownfield the bulk of their work centers on better understanding how warmer and wetter conditions will impact not only crop productivity but the environment as well.

“Two things that we have started to focus on in recent experiments over the last two years: to look at how the temperature and precipitation will impact yields, but also how it influences nitrogen use efficiencies.”

Preliminary results show warmer and wetter scenarios result in increasing amounts of nitrous oxide going into the atmosphere as part of the de-nitrification process.

Griffis says his hope is that further research will provide guidance and best management practices to farmers regarding the timing and rate of nitrogen applications.