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Naginiorpython t1_ivhm90k wrote

Is global warming helping us solve world hunger by giving us longer growing seasons?

Edit: Lots of interesting perspectives. Thanks for sharing.

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m4gpi t1_ivhpehf wrote

An extended growing season is certainly a benefit, but it’s likely to be offset by increased disease and pestilence, and shifts in temps/rain/humidity (that translate to loss or relocation of arable land).

And, come to think of it, in terms of “world hunger”, rice, corn and wheat are the big crops, and they are all single-harvest products - what starts growing at the beginning of the season is what you (hopefully) get at the end. A slightly longer season might mean more indeterminate tomatoes, but doesn’t necessarily translate to more or even better wheat, etc. At the local/home-garden level a longer season certainly would be useful (assuming no changes in normal growing conditions).

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fml87 t1_ivhyyaq wrote

The benefits will be globally offset when America’s bread basket is no longer sustainable. If that happens, half the planet is fucked.

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prussian-junker t1_ivie82n wrote

A lot of American farmland is unsustainable regardless of climate trends. Large portions of US farmland exist in water scarce areas. The largest example being the famous Central Valley of California which is really a near desert. The whole valley the way until well north of Sacramento averages less than 20 inches of rainfall.

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fleebleganger t1_ivjxbuw wrote

A longer growing season will produce higher yields than a shorter season, assuming weather, pests, disease, is the same.

Either you get the crops in early and can use longer maturity hybrids so they have more time to grow the crop or you still have time to replant or plant wet areas.

Additionally, longer season allows farmers to plant more acres helping to address the decrease in available farm labor.

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The_green_economist t1_ivhpxm5 wrote

Take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt as my research is focused on the Acadian and Borel Forest regions. The increase in length of the growing seasons doesn't necessarily equate to an increase in biomass, especially for native species. This is due to the increase in likelihood and severity of climate disturbance (wind, drought,..ect) and shifts in yearly temperatures and precipitation having a stronger negative impact compared to the position impact of a longer growing season.

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RightClickSaveWorld t1_ivhry13 wrote

That's not how that works. It's going to make regions that can normally farm unable to farm. And that's just the start of the problems. Unless you mean just New Hampshire which isn't a farm state.

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Naginiorpython t1_ivi74pj wrote

I had heard that increase in CO2 would make the planet greener. It was on Planet earth BBC. But your point is well taken.

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reficius1 OP t1_ivhmxja wrote

One might hope that's all there will be to it. We'll see.

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