Reduced macadamia nut quality is linked to wetter growing seasons but mitigated at higher elevations
Climate and insect pests are vital variables that affect crop production. Climate change will alter the magnitude and timing of precipitation, but how rainfall and temperature interact to affect insect pest damage in agriculture is poorly understood. Here, we explore the interacting effects of eleva...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Agriculture and Food Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154323000765 |
| _version_ | 1797823087430860800 |
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| author | Oussama Bouarakia Mina Anders Valerie M.G. Linden Ingo Grass Catrin Westphal Peter J. Taylor Stefan H. Foord |
| author_facet | Oussama Bouarakia Mina Anders Valerie M.G. Linden Ingo Grass Catrin Westphal Peter J. Taylor Stefan H. Foord |
| author_sort | Oussama Bouarakia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Climate and insect pests are vital variables that affect crop production. Climate change will alter the magnitude and timing of precipitation, but how rainfall and temperature interact to affect insect pest damage in agriculture is poorly understood. Here, we explore the interacting effects of elevation and contrasting weather conditions (a wet vs. dry year) on macadamia nut quality, which is strongly affected by insect pests. For two years, we sampled macadamia nuts at 40 plots, stratified across ten farms along an elevational gradient in subtropical Limpopo province of South Africa. As measures of nut quality, we related total kernel recovery, nut immaturity, and kernel insect damage to precipitation and elevation. Higher rainfall reduced nut quality in all three response variables, while colder temperatures at higher elevations mitigated this effect. Our findings suggest that future warmer temperatures, more intense and wetter rainy seasons could lead to lowered macadamia nut quality even at higher elevations and economic losses to the industry. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:18:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-71ce1b28d1894b1997a826d2963151cd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-1543 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:18:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Agriculture and Food Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-71ce1b28d1894b1997a826d2963151cd2023-05-21T04:35:42ZengElsevierJournal of Agriculture and Food Research2666-15432023-06-0112100569Reduced macadamia nut quality is linked to wetter growing seasons but mitigated at higher elevationsOussama Bouarakia0Mina Anders1Valerie M.G. Linden2Ingo Grass3Catrin Westphal4Peter J. Taylor5Stefan H. Foord6SARChI Chair on Biodiversity Value and Change in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, Limpopo, South Africa; Corresponding author.Functional Agrobiodiversity, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 6, Göttingen, 37077, GermanySARChI Chair on Biodiversity Value and Change in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, Limpopo, South AfricaEcology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstrasse 13, Stuttgart, 70599, GermanyFunctional Agrobiodiversity, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 6, Göttingen, 37077, GermanyDepartment of Zoology & Entomology & Afromontane Research Unit, University of the Free State, QwaQwa Campus, Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba, 9866, Free State, South AfricaSARChI Chair on Biodiversity Value and Change in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, Limpopo, South AfricaClimate and insect pests are vital variables that affect crop production. Climate change will alter the magnitude and timing of precipitation, but how rainfall and temperature interact to affect insect pest damage in agriculture is poorly understood. Here, we explore the interacting effects of elevation and contrasting weather conditions (a wet vs. dry year) on macadamia nut quality, which is strongly affected by insect pests. For two years, we sampled macadamia nuts at 40 plots, stratified across ten farms along an elevational gradient in subtropical Limpopo province of South Africa. As measures of nut quality, we related total kernel recovery, nut immaturity, and kernel insect damage to precipitation and elevation. Higher rainfall reduced nut quality in all three response variables, while colder temperatures at higher elevations mitigated this effect. Our findings suggest that future warmer temperatures, more intense and wetter rainy seasons could lead to lowered macadamia nut quality even at higher elevations and economic losses to the industry.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154323000765AgricultureClimate changeInsect pestsRainfallSouthern AfricaSubtropical |
| spellingShingle | Oussama Bouarakia Mina Anders Valerie M.G. Linden Ingo Grass Catrin Westphal Peter J. Taylor Stefan H. Foord Reduced macadamia nut quality is linked to wetter growing seasons but mitigated at higher elevations Journal of Agriculture and Food Research Agriculture Climate change Insect pests Rainfall Southern Africa Subtropical |
| title | Reduced macadamia nut quality is linked to wetter growing seasons but mitigated at higher elevations |
| title_full | Reduced macadamia nut quality is linked to wetter growing seasons but mitigated at higher elevations |
| title_fullStr | Reduced macadamia nut quality is linked to wetter growing seasons but mitigated at higher elevations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reduced macadamia nut quality is linked to wetter growing seasons but mitigated at higher elevations |
| title_short | Reduced macadamia nut quality is linked to wetter growing seasons but mitigated at higher elevations |
| title_sort | reduced macadamia nut quality is linked to wetter growing seasons but mitigated at higher elevations |
| topic | Agriculture Climate change Insect pests Rainfall Southern Africa Subtropical |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154323000765 |
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