MSU helps agriculture adapt to climate change - WILX

MSU helps agriculture adapt to climate change

“Climate is the driver of agriculture in a good and a bad way.”

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Michigan State University plant researchers say climate change is making it harder to grow crops and raise livestock.

Agriculture can provide an excessive amount of products, such as food, and help to lower the cost of goods.

“When the opposite occurs when you have a reduction of yield due to extreme events, whether it’s drought or excessive amount of water, then both the prices are effective because the same amount of food that is needed to satisfy will have to come from outside,” said Dr. Bruno Basso.

Bruno Basso is an MSU professor in the earth and environmental sciences. Using drones, he looks at how farmers can produce more grain and other crops so that the shelves in the grocery store remain full.

“If agriculture is impacted…everybody is impacted because agriculture produces food, and even though we may think oh there’ll always be a sufficient amount of food, but the prices associated with food will change,” said Basso.

MSU scientists are looking at the best practices to ensure viable production with climate changes. That includes adjusting planting dates based on the weather, adding a variety of crops to help manage risks and implementing practices that make the soil more resilient.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the population is expected to grow by over a third by 2050. Which places the production of goods in higher demand.

“Agriculture is a critical sector for human beings because it produces food, feed, fuel, shelter,” said Basso.

All the things needed for a growing population. Michigan produces more than 300 agricultural commodities, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Which makes Michigan among the most diverse states in agriculture.

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