Understanding climate change impacts of Florida strawberries agriculture
This study illustrates the impacts climate change will have on the fruit industry by modelling the mid-century changes in Florida strawberry yield using downscaled climate models and an innovative process-based crop model developed by researchers at the University of Florida.
The study demonstrates how climate change induced temperature changes to killing degree days and chilling degree days will shift Hillsborough County, the leading producer of strawberries in Florida, out of the goldilocks zone by 2050. Under this mid-century climate change scenario, strawberry framers in Hillsborough County will experience decreasing yields (11%) and net income per acre (10%). Adaptation strategies can offset the negative impacts of climate change. One example is shifting where strawberries are grown to north-central countries such as Marion County, where the mid-century climate will resemble today's climate of Hillsborough County. Besides moving production north, a number of other adaptation options exist including new hybrids, shading, automation, sustainable cooling, and aquifer recharging.
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