09/19/07 Global warming and its impact on agriculture

There are going to be a number of affects on agriculture thanks to global warming. That's what a new US Department of Agriculture study says. Bill Hohelstein directs USDA's Global Change Office. He says the warming trend and added carbon dioxide in the air does have some positive impacts. HOHENSTEIN "Climate change will tend to lengthen the growing season. It will also tend to cause increases in moisture in the Eastern US and the CO2, the primary greenhouse gas Carbon Dioxide, actually serves as a fertilizer and increases plant growth." The report says there will be some slight increases in wheat productivity over the next three to four decades. HOHENSTEIN "Minor decrease in corn productivity. The report quotes about a one and a half percent reduction in corn productivity." The report says the CO2 also fertilizes weeds and warmer temperatures increase the risk of disease. Warming can also change the areas of the US where crops are grown. HOHENSTEIN "As farmers adapt to the changing temperature and moisture patterns." Some Idaho farmers have been getting their crops into the ground earlier in recent years and for some of them that's meant less irrigation demand at the end of the season when water is low. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott