Do farmers rapidly adapt to past growing conditions by sowing different proportions of early and late maturing cereals and cultivars?

In the short growing season of the northernmost European growing conditions, farmers are increasingly interested in expanding cultivation of later maturing crops at the expense of early maturing ones with lower yields. In this study we aimed to assess how the switching between spring cereals that di...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pirjo Peltonen-Sainio, Lauri Jauhiainen, Jarkko K. Niemi, Kaija Hakala, Timo Sipiläinen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Scientific Agricultural Society of Finland 2013-10-01
Series:Agricultural and Food Science
Online Access:https://journal.fi/afs/article/view/8153
_version_ 1818664762407387136
author Pirjo Peltonen-Sainio
Lauri Jauhiainen
Jarkko K. Niemi
Kaija Hakala
Timo Sipiläinen
author_facet Pirjo Peltonen-Sainio
Lauri Jauhiainen
Jarkko K. Niemi
Kaija Hakala
Timo Sipiläinen
author_sort Pirjo Peltonen-Sainio
collection DOAJ
description In the short growing season of the northernmost European growing conditions, farmers are increasingly interested in expanding cultivation of later maturing crops at the expense of early maturing ones with lower yields. In this study we aimed to assess how the switching between spring cereals that differ in earliness was associated with different external factors. This was tested using unique datasets for regional cropping areas and cultivar use for the last 15 years. Early maturing barley was favored at the expense of later maturing wheat when a high number of days to crop maturity was required in the preceding year. In contrast, farmers reduced the barley area when a high number of cumulated degree days was required for a crop to mature in the previous year. A shift was recorded from early to late maturing cultivars. This study indicated that despite limited opportunities for farmers to alter land use, they readily responded to past conditions and used the knowledge gained for decision-making to reduce risk. This is a valuable operative model for studying adaptation to opportunities and constraints induced by climate change.
first_indexed 2024-12-17T05:37:54Z
format Article
id doaj.art-307319b903534c9ea11b4645382d816e
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1459-6067
1795-1895
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-17T05:37:54Z
publishDate 2013-10-01
publisher Scientific Agricultural Society of Finland
record_format Article
series Agricultural and Food Science
spelling doaj.art-307319b903534c9ea11b4645382d816e2022-12-21T22:01:33ZengScientific Agricultural Society of FinlandAgricultural and Food Science1459-60671795-18952013-10-01223Do farmers rapidly adapt to past growing conditions by sowing different proportions of early and late maturing cereals and cultivars?Pirjo Peltonen-SainioLauri JauhiainenJarkko K. NiemiKaija HakalaTimo SipiläinenIn the short growing season of the northernmost European growing conditions, farmers are increasingly interested in expanding cultivation of later maturing crops at the expense of early maturing ones with lower yields. In this study we aimed to assess how the switching between spring cereals that differ in earliness was associated with different external factors. This was tested using unique datasets for regional cropping areas and cultivar use for the last 15 years. Early maturing barley was favored at the expense of later maturing wheat when a high number of days to crop maturity was required in the preceding year. In contrast, farmers reduced the barley area when a high number of cumulated degree days was required for a crop to mature in the previous year. A shift was recorded from early to late maturing cultivars. This study indicated that despite limited opportunities for farmers to alter land use, they readily responded to past conditions and used the knowledge gained for decision-making to reduce risk. This is a valuable operative model for studying adaptation to opportunities and constraints induced by climate change.https://journal.fi/afs/article/view/8153
spellingShingle Pirjo Peltonen-Sainio
Lauri Jauhiainen
Jarkko K. Niemi
Kaija Hakala
Timo Sipiläinen
Do farmers rapidly adapt to past growing conditions by sowing different proportions of early and late maturing cereals and cultivars?
Agricultural and Food Science
title Do farmers rapidly adapt to past growing conditions by sowing different proportions of early and late maturing cereals and cultivars?
title_full Do farmers rapidly adapt to past growing conditions by sowing different proportions of early and late maturing cereals and cultivars?
title_fullStr Do farmers rapidly adapt to past growing conditions by sowing different proportions of early and late maturing cereals and cultivars?
title_full_unstemmed Do farmers rapidly adapt to past growing conditions by sowing different proportions of early and late maturing cereals and cultivars?
title_short Do farmers rapidly adapt to past growing conditions by sowing different proportions of early and late maturing cereals and cultivars?
title_sort do farmers rapidly adapt to past growing conditions by sowing different proportions of early and late maturing cereals and cultivars
url https://journal.fi/afs/article/view/8153
work_keys_str_mv AT pirjopeltonensainio dofarmersrapidlyadapttopastgrowingconditionsbysowingdifferentproportionsofearlyandlatematuringcerealsandcultivars
AT laurijauhiainen dofarmersrapidlyadapttopastgrowingconditionsbysowingdifferentproportionsofearlyandlatematuringcerealsandcultivars
AT jarkkokniemi dofarmersrapidlyadapttopastgrowingconditionsbysowingdifferentproportionsofearlyandlatematuringcerealsandcultivars
AT kaijahakala dofarmersrapidlyadapttopastgrowingconditionsbysowingdifferentproportionsofearlyandlatematuringcerealsandcultivars
AT timosipilainen dofarmersrapidlyadapttopastgrowingconditionsbysowingdifferentproportionsofearlyandlatematuringcerealsandcultivars