The changing climate is rewriting the rules of agriculture, and tuber crops are at the forefront. After cereals and pulses, tuber crops rank as the third most important food crop, ensuring food and nutritional security for the world's population of around 500 million people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Plants known as "tuber crops" yield edible underground storage organs, like sweet potatoes, carrots, and potatoes, which are vital foods high in minerals and carbs. About 6% of the calories in the world's diet come from sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) and cassava (Manihot esculenta), which rank among the top ten food crops of developing countries.
In India, tuber crops are cultivated in states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and the North Eastern regions. These crops account for approximately 4.5% of the total area under vegetable cultivation and contribute around 5.7% to the overall vegetable production. Additionally, it is used as a raw ingredient for a number of industrial processes, including the manufacturing of processed meals, biofuels, and starches.
Impacts of Climate Change on Tuber Crops
Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, more frequent extreme weather, and changes in pests and diseases are impacting the growth, yield, and quality of these crops.
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Temperature stress
Since tubers like potatoes prefer cooler climates, high temperatures can hinder their optimal formation. Increasing temperatures can have a negative impact on yield by reducing tuber growth and size. Long-term exposure to high temperatures can also change the tubers' quality, making them less starchy and more vulnerable to illnesses and pests. Unexpected cold temperatures can harm sensitive crops, such as yams and sweet potatoes, affecting their quality and growth. -
Change in Rainfall pattern
Tuber crops require regular water to grow properly. Prolonged periods without rain can prevent them from growing well, causing the tubers to become small and stunted. Excessive rain can flood the soil, cutting off oxygen to the roots, causing the tubers to rot, and increasing the risk of fungal diseases like late blight in potatoes. -
Pests and Diseases
Climate change and higher temperatures create conditions that promote the spread of diseases and pests. For instance, the Colorado potato beetle is expanding into new regions due to rising temperatures. In tropical and subtropical areas, sweet potato weevil and cassava mosaic disease are on the rise. These elements have the potential to seriously harm crops and threaten livelihoods. -
Soil Degradation
Erosion and nutrient depletion caused by heavy rains or prolonged drought affect the soil's ability to support tuber crops. Tuber crops need healthy soil to grow their roots properly, but they are especially affected when the soil quality gets worse. -
Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Levels
Higher levels of CO₂ in the air can have mixed effects on tuber crops. It might help plants grow bigger by boosting photosynthesis, but problems like heat, lack of water, and poor soil nutrients often cancel out these benefits. Higher CO₂ can also change the nutritional value of tubers, reducing their protein and micronutrient content.
Adaptive Strategies for Sustaining Tuber Crop Productivity
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Developing Climate-Resilient Varieties
Breeding programs should work on creating tuber crops that can handle heat, survive droughts, and resist pests. For example, researchers are developing better cassava plants that can fight mosaic disease and grow well in dry areas and CRISPR technology can accelerate this process. -
Improved Agricultural Practices
Farmers can adopt climate-smart practices like mulching, crop rotation, use of well-drained soils. Mulching to conserve soil moisture and control soil temperature. Rotating tuber crops alternately with other plants can help maintain soil nutrients and reduce the chances of pests and diseases. -
Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM)
Integrated pest management involves using various methods to control pests while reducing harm to the environment. This includes monitoring crops to spot pests and diseases early, using traps, applying biopesticides, and encouraging natural predators, which helps lessen the need for chemical pesticides. -
Adoption of Precision Agriculture
Tools like remote sensing, soil moisture sensors, and weather forecasting systems can optimize water and nutrient use, minimizing waste and mitigating climate risks.
How are industries affected by this and what is the solution to reduce it?
Industries relying on tuber crops, such as food processing, starch production, and bioethanol manufacturing, face challenges due to climate change, including lower yields, inconsistent raw material quality, and increased production costs caused by heat stress, water scarcity, and pest outbreaks.
To mitigate these impacts, industries can invest in climate-resilient crop varieties, support sustainable farming practices like precision agriculture, and develop advanced storage and logistics systems to reduce post-harvest losses. Diversifying sourcing regions and promoting circular economy approaches, such as using processing waste for bioenergy, can also enhance resilience and sustainability.
Understanding how climate change reshapes the future of tuber crops is critical to safeguarding global food security. This blog emphasizes the urgent need to address climate change on tuber crops. Tackling the challenges of climate change on tuber crops requires a collaborative approach between industries, researchers, and farmers.
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