New crop varieties 'can't keep up with global warming'

[nitpicker]

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36579125

New crop varieties 'can't keep up with global warming'

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent

6 hours ago

Crops yields around the world could fall within a decade unless action is taken to speed up the introduction of new varieties. A study says temperatures are rising faster than the development of crop varieties that can cope with a warmer world. In Africa, researchers found that it can take 10-30 years before farmers can grow a new breed of maize. By the time these new crops are planted, they face a warmer environment than they were developed in.

The scientists behind the study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, looked closely at the impact of temperature rises on crop duration - that's the length of time between planting and harvesting. They found that in a warmer world durations will be shorter meaning these varieties will have less time to accumulate biomass and yields could be affected.

In their paper, the researchers write that crop duration will become significantly shorter as early as 2018 in some regions but by 2031, the majority of maize-growing areas of Africa will be affected.
(snip)

New varieties of maize need between 10-30 years of development before they are ready to be grown by farmers. The scientists say the lag is down to a combination of factors including the limited number of crops you can grow in a season, the need for government approved testing and there are also a number of problems of access to markets that can increase the time it takes before the farmers have the new seeds to plant.
(snip)

[Nay]

1. New varieties are a bandaid on a gushing wound. We need crash programs in CO2

removal, not new crops.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

2. lol

so silly