Source: MakeLemonade.nz
Te Whanganui-a-Tara – It can take years to cross-pollinate potato varieties to cope with increasing rainfall, but scientists warn it is vital for the future of the crop
Researchers are working on producing potatoes that are resistant to climate change.
The University of Maine is developing a super spud so that it can withstand changing weather conditions, which are part of global climate breakdown.
Scientists around the globe are scrambling to mitigate crop damage in the glow of new biodiversity predictions.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in a report says the production of corn and wheat will be detrimentally affected as early as 2030.
Scientists found that it is temperature increase, rainfall shifts, and elevated CO2 concentration that is affecting it. And human-caused greenhouse gas emissions too.
The predictions for climate change are heavier rainfall events. And potatoes don’t tolerate flooding or wet conditions for long without having other quality problems.
If people want potatoes to be continued to be produced successfully in Maine, they need to be able to produce varieties that can be resistant to change.
Researchers at the university have also stressed the need to breed a potato that can better cope with pests.
Meanwhile, people in Spain have been urged to lower their meat intake to help tackle the climate crisis.
Failure to effectively address climate breakdown would not only damage the planet further, but could harm the Spanish tourism industry.
In September, a report found that 20 livestock companies are to blame for more greenhouse gas emissions than entire countries including Britain, France, or Germany.
The five largest meat and milk producers were found to be responsible for the same volume of greenhouse gases as Exxon, one of the largest oil and gas companies on the planet.
Oxford University researchers say a vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce people’s impact on the planet, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, land use and water use.
