Crop Microclimate Modification to Address Climate Change

Abstract

Climate-related agricultural vulnerabilities, as well as their implications for food security and farm livelihoods, have been extensively documented. Extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, heat and cold waves, hailstorms, strong winds, cyclones, and other weather events have increased the exposures of agriculture to climate risk. These processes are hampered by a lack of appropriate climatic elements, resulting in an unfavourable drop in crop productivity. Increased frequency and intensity of droughts and floods, as well as erratic precipitation patterns are predicted to increase year-to-year yield variability in crop production. Microclimate, which refers to the climatic elements in the immediate vicinity of the plants, is critical because it regulates and affects the physiological reactions of the plants as well as the energy exchange activities between the plant and its surroundings. Implementation of such microclimatic modifications in crop production are required to manage extreme weather risks and boost crop output in order to increase food security and agricultural sustainability in this changing climate. The goal of this paper is to improve crop production and land productivity by modifying microclimate as a manifestation of the efficiency and effectiveness of growth factor utilisation. Keywords: Agriculture's vulnerability, Crop productivity, Climate change, Microclimatic modifications.