Climate Lessons: How climate change affects New Zealand wine
In Climate Lessons, a scientist explains what their research has taught them about climate change. We all know that plants need soil, water, and sunlight to grow; and usually they grow better when it's warmer but not too hot! and they have plenty of water and nutrients from the soil. As anyone with a vegetable garden knows, it only takes small changes in temperature, soil, nutrients and water to impact on homegrown peas and potatoes. My research looks at how changing climate could potentially change New Zealand's agricultural industries and decisions on how we choose to use our land, soil and water resources. Take the wine industry for example being French, I love my pinot noir, so have a personal interest in this. Our research suggests that wine grapes will flower earlier across New Zealand with a warming climate. In fact, this change has already been observed by winegrowers. By the end of the century, grapes will flower up to two weeks earlier, creating concerns in harvesting and potentially some effects on the quality of wine. The wine industry may want to start thinking about planting grape varieties that enjoy more heat and prepare the market for new regional varieties. On the plus side, new areas may become suitable for vineyards and help the industry to expand further hopefully with pinot noir. READ MORE: * Climate Lessons: How creative science can be * Climate Lessons: Forecasting changing ice and oceans * Climate Lessons: Dry rivers offer a preview of climate change Arable crops with seasonal rotations such as maize or wheat will grow in different locations with shorter crop rotations and longer winter growing seasons. While this might be good for increasing the level of production, growers will need to re-think how they manage their soil and water resources, to ensure new sowing dates and plant varieties are suitable to the changing conditions and cost-effective. These are just some of the challenges categorised as climate change adaptation that many growers are already factoring into their long-term plans. Meat and dairy products are grown in a pasture-based system here in New Zealand, unlike in Europe or US where animals are mostly kept indoors. Producing pasture also relies on temperature, water and soil and is different across the regions and the seasons. Our research shows that changing climate will not treat everyone evenly. On the east coast for instance, grass might grow faster in spring, but slow down in summer due to less rain; hill country pastures will probably suffer less in drought whilst our lusher lowlands will need more irrigation, especially on well-drained soils. My research in the National Science Challenges is aimed at looking ahead to how we can increase the resilience of our farming systems so that changing climate and extreme events are managed and that we can continue to produce great food into the future. It's complex, and there are many interacting factors and feedback loops which still need to be understood. Extreme events may impact on loss of nutrients into rivers, animal heat stress in summer, or late frosts during flowering grapes. How do we make decisions about land use that can accommodate all this? Many farmers are already becoming "climate smart" and preparing for change by planting trees to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, prevent erosion and help retain water during drought periods. The trick is for all of New Zealand to better understand our natural resources and prepare ahead of the changing climate. Of course, the fundamental science is still evolving and there are aspects of climate change that we don't fully understand. For instance, how will plants respond to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels? We cannot answer this but suspect that plants will increase their rate of photosynthesis, potentially making them more resilient to drought and easier to grow. Scientists all over the world are working on these questions to ensure that we have the right agricultural systems to deliver food security while also protecting the environment for future generations. While much of my work is focussed on the New Zealand environment, it's important that we contribute to global science and policy development. My work includes participation in the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services, and I was really encouraged by some of the hopeful initiatives and options described in the recent UN Global Assessment for IPBES. New, innovative ways to produce food while reducing carbon emissions and ensuring we use our land wisely are emerging. I know about this first hand, as my husband and I, with others have established the first spirulina farm in New Zealand. Spirulina smoothie for breakfast but still a nice NZ pinot noir at dinner time! * Anne-Gaelle Ausseil is a researcher at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.