Climate Smart Agriculture is an approach to agriculture that not only increases agricultural yields and profitability but also helps mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. Climate Smart Agriculture promotes a holistic plan to build resilience in landscapes and ecosystems by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing water use, and reducing soil erosion while increasing farm production. The climate change effects on agriculture have already been established but have not yet had a significant influence on altering existing farming systems. Climate change has been primarily caused by human activities and is caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causing an increase in temperatures.
Major agricultural systems affected by climate change include water resources, energy resources, and land resources. Climate change threatens water resources as it causes droughts, which are already present in major agricultural regions. Drought increases the odds of soil erosion, which is exacerbated by increased temperatures. The increased temperatures cause warmer weathers, which in turn creates changes in plant and animal life. Animal life may be adversely affected due to decreased body weight and reduced food intake leading to malnutrition and starvation; the stress may also lead to increased diseases such as avian influenza and foot-and-mouth disease.
Challenges of Global Climate Change On Agriculture
Increasing temperatures
Some studies indicate that these changes are likely to occur, showing a link between global warming and reduced crop yields. Droughts may become more frequent and severe, which will reduce crop production. Increases in rainfall and high river flows may increase soil erosion; this will also affect crop production. Temperature changes may cause animals to migrate towards the borders of their habitats, thus changing the natural habitats of climates. The effects of increased temperature on plants are not as well known, but it is likely to negatively affect plant growth and the amount of organic matter in the soil.
Changing precipitation patterns
It is predicted that future rainfall patterns will become more erratic, causing floods and drought situations along with increased susceptibility to flooding. These changes may cause a decrease in the ability of crops to absorb water and nutrients, ultimately leading to a decline in crop yield. An increase in droughts and flash floods would affect crop production negatively as soil erosion rates will increase due to the removal or deposition of topsoil.
Land use and land degradation
Changes in temperature, precipitation, and crop yields will increase land cover by an average of 2-8%. The increase in the land cover will decrease the effectiveness of natural soil erosion control functions. An increase in deforestation, mining, or urbanization may lead to an increase in soil erosion. These activities will affect agricultural production negatively.
Water resources
Temperature rise will also cause evaporation, leading to increased water demand and shortages. Droughts will be more frequent and more severe, leading to a decrease in water availability within the agricultural sector. Soil is the primary carrier of water, and its distribution is regulated by climate, vegetation, and soil type factors. An increase in soil moisture due to increased precipitation could lead to increased erosion rates, which lead to lower crop production.
Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices to Cab Climate Change
Increase water use efficiency
Maximizing the use of existing water resources for irrigation and reducing irrigation water consumption is necessary. The popular way to reduce water consumption is by increasing water use efficiency. Water use efficiency is the amount of water a plant uses to produce a unit of the crop in relation to the total amount of water used throughout the growing season. Ways to achieve this include:
Water saving/conservation
Water is one of the main substances that are being exploited for the sustenance of life by humans. Climate change has contributed to significant droughts and water scarcity in almost all continents. This effect, in turn, threatens the productivity of agriculture and humans across the globe. Water conservation is a solution to this problem as it acts as a solution to mitigate climate change effects on agriculture. The use of drip irrigation has been proven as the most effective method for water conservation. Drip irrigation is a water distribution system in which minimal and precise amounts of water are given to the crops. This method is more effective at conserving water and, at the same time, ensuring maximum productivity of the crops. There are numerous technologies for recycling water that are helpful in water-saving allocation.
Water harvesting
The harvesting of rainwater is the most common method of water harvesting. Nevertheless, collecting and recycling water used daily is becoming increasingly common. This way, a lot of wasted water finds more use in the farms, consequently leading to more productivity.
Hydroponics
Among the most efficient ways to increase crop production is using hydroponics. Hydroponics is a term used for the method of growing plants in water or other media apart from soil. The main difference between hydroponics and traditional agriculture is that it involves growing crops in water instead of soil, requiring nutrients to be added to the soil. In other cases, alternative media is used for the cultivation of plants. Other benefits of hydroponics are that it does not require any soil, limiting the amount of fertile soil that has to be used. Hydroponics also allows more than one crop to be grown in a short period resulting in higher productivity.
Reduce livestock population to allow more land for agriculture
Reducing livestock population will allow more land to be used for agriculture. With more land available, the soil is enriched and has greater efficiency at conserving and retaining water, thus leading to an increase in agricultural productivity
Integration of technology in agriculture
There are many ways by which technology is utilized in agriculture to achieve the objectives of food security and environmental protection. Technologies such as drones and data management are used to maintain data regarding the plants and soil conditions so that farmers can know what actions they need to take. This way, they will keep the optimal conditions for farming ensuring productivity.
Climate Smart Agriculture is an approach to agriculture that not only increases agricultural yields and profitability but also helps mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. Climate Smart Agriculture promotes a holistic plan to build resilience in landscapes and ecosystems by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing water use, and reducing soil erosion while increasing farm production. The climate change effects on agriculture have already been established but have not yet had a significant influence on altering existing farming systems. Climate change has been primarily caused by human activities and is caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causing an increase in temperatures.
Major agricultural systems affected by climate change include water resources, energy resources, and land resources. Climate change threatens water resources as it causes droughts, which are already present in major agricultural regions. Drought increases the odds of soil erosion, which is exacerbated by increased temperatures. The increased temperatures cause warmer weathers, which in turn creates changes in plant and animal life. Animal life may be adversely affected due to decreased body weight and reduced food intake leading to malnutrition and starvation; the stress may also lead to increased diseases such as avian influenza and foot-and-mouth disease.
Challenges of Global Climate Change On Agriculture
Increasing temperatures
Some studies indicate that these changes are likely to occur, showing a link between global warming and reduced crop yields. Droughts may become more frequent and severe, which will reduce crop production. Increases in rainfall and high river flows may increase soil erosion; this will also affect crop production. Temperature changes may cause animals to migrate towards the borders of their habitats, thus changing the natural habitats of climates. The effects of increased temperature on plants are not as well known, but it is likely to negatively affect plant growth and the amount of organic matter in the soil.
Changing precipitation patterns
It is predicted that future rainfall patterns will become more erratic, causing floods and drought situations along with increased susceptibility to flooding. These changes may cause a decrease in the ability of crops to absorb water and nutrients, ultimately leading to a decline in crop yield. An increase in droughts and flash floods would affect crop production negatively as soil erosion rates will increase due to the removal or deposition of topsoil.
Land use and land degradation
Changes in temperature, precipitation, and crop yields will increase land cover by an average of 2-8%. The increase in the land cover will decrease the effectiveness of natural soil erosion control functions. An increase in deforestation, mining, or urbanization may lead to an increase in soil erosion. These activities will affect agricultural production negatively.
Water resources
Temperature rise will also cause evaporation, leading to increased water demand and shortages. Droughts will be more frequent and more severe, leading to a decrease in water availability within the agricultural sector. Soil is the primary carrier of water, and its distribution is regulated by climate, vegetation, and soil type factors. An increase in soil moisture due to increased precipitation could lead to increased erosion rates, which lead to lower crop production.
Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices to Cab Climate Change
Increase water use efficiency
Maximizing the use of existing water resources for irrigation and reducing irrigation water consumption is necessary. The popular way to reduce water consumption is by increasing water use efficiency. Water use efficiency is the amount of water a plant uses to produce a unit of the crop in relation to the total amount of water used throughout the growing season. Ways to achieve this include:
Water saving/conservation
Water is one of the main substances that are being exploited for the sustenance of life by humans. Climate change has contributed to significant droughts and water scarcity in almost all continents. This effect, in turn, threatens the productivity of agriculture and humans across the globe. Water conservation is a solution to this problem as it acts as a solution to mitigate climate change effects on agriculture. The use of drip irrigation has been proven as the most effective method for water conservation. Drip irrigation is a water distribution system in which minimal and precise amounts of water are given to the crops. This method is more effective at conserving water and, at the same time, ensuring maximum productivity of the crops. There are numerous technologies for recycling water that are helpful in water-saving allocation.
Water harvesting
The harvesting of rainwater is the most common method of water harvesting. Nevertheless, collecting and recycling water used daily is becoming increasingly common. This way, a lot of wasted water finds more use in the farms, consequently leading to more productivity.
Hydroponics
Among the most efficient ways to increase crop production is using hydroponics. Hydroponics is a term used for the method of growing plants in water or other media apart from soil. The main difference between hydroponics and traditional agriculture is that it involves growing crops in water instead of soil, requiring nutrients to be added to the soil. In other cases, alternative media is used for the cultivation of plants. Other benefits of hydroponics are that it does not require any soil, limiting the amount of fertile soil that has to be used. Hydroponics also allows more than one crop to be grown in a short period resulting in higher productivity.
Reduce livestock population to allow more land for agriculture
Reducing livestock population will allow more land to be used for agriculture. With more land available, the soil is enriched and has greater efficiency at conserving and retaining water, thus leading to an increase in agricultural productivity
Integration of technology in agriculture
There are many ways by which technology is utilized in agriculture to achieve the objectives of food security and environmental protection. Technologies such as drones and data management are used to maintain data regarding the plants and soil conditions so that farmers can know what actions they need to take. This way, they will keep the optimal conditions for farming ensuring productivity.
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