Potatoes

 

Understanding Global Warming

Potatoes

More rain and warm weather are good for the agricultural sector. Also, more carbon dioxide is good for the plants. Whether it is possible to see the effect is more questionable because at the same time, the crops have been refined and cultivation improved.

The cold 1840s were accompanied by violent potato blight attacks. Blight is a fungal disease caused by spores of Phytophthora infestans.  It became catastrophic for Europe, especially in Ireland where 1 million died of starvation and another 1-2 million emigrated. Later, the necessity of crop rotation with 3 other crops for each potato harvest and the value of healthy seed potatoes were learned.


Figure 1. Yield of Danish factory potatoes has steadily increased. Here shown as 11-year moving average.

The harvest yield has been steadily increasing. The quantum leap around 1990 follows the introduction of the meristem program in the 80s, which went from cloning to the use of meristem plants accompanied by forced replacement, separation of pre-base and basis - the so-called "flush out" system that we know today. That gave a huge boost in yields.

However, breeding and better cultivation techniques do not deprive the weather of its share in the better crop yields. Even Greenlandic potato growers have benefited from the good weather that has made them self-sufficient.

Understanding Global Warming, Oversigt - LINK

lt January 3, 2021

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