Reflections: April 2008

Every Day is Earth Day for Horticulturists

Mary Peet
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We’ve heard a lot this month from the candidates about the environment, global climate change, and what they’re going to do about it. Many of us participated in Earth Day activities, and changed some of our personal habits, if only using totes instead of plastic grocery bags. For me, Earth Day memories go back to the very first Earth Day when I picked up roadside litter with other graduate students in the Zero Population Growth Club at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. April 22, 1970, is also memorable for me as the first “date” with my current husband of 38 years, then my TA and fellow trash collector!

While our personal virtues in terms of reducing our carbon footprints may vary (I’m writing this while flying to France to visit my new granddaughter and her family!), we can all be proud of the role that we horticulturists play in helping producers cope with the effects of a changing climate and how our work every day makes the world “greener” both literally and in terms of sustainability.

A related topic in the news is the world food shortage and rising food prices. As food is diverted into fuels and animal feed, an unprecedented drought in Australia decreases rice supplies worldwide, and weather-related disruptions reduce yields in many production areas, rising prices and diminishing supplies of staple crops threaten to de-stabilize many countries. The rapid increase in energy prices has, of course, also contributed to rising food prices worldwide.

Climate Change and Its Implications for Horticulture

So what does all this gloom and doom talk have to do with horticulturists? I often think that because climate change is such an amorphous concept, or is associated with polar bears and melting icecaps, it hasn’t received enough attention in terms of the implications for horticulture. Who is working on answers to questions such as: How will market windows change? Is there a potential for new crops? Are yields likely to decrease on cool-season crops such as potatoes? How will growers cope with increased pest pressures, including more invasive weeds? How will gardens change? Can people plant crops from warmer climate zones? How will tourism and festivals be affected as leaves turn color later, local attractions such as maple syrup production are threatened, and bloom times move up? How will changes in rainfall and temperature affect water supplies for irrigation? Should we put more effort into breeding more drought-tolerant crops and maybe ones that require less nitrogen? Should we encourage growers to install high tunnels as the climate becomes less predictable and storms more severe? Are the climate models sufficiently robust that we should start passing on these predictions to our clientele?

The Northeast region is ahead of the rest of us in looking at some of these issues, but I was recently struck by the realization of how little we have really talked about most of these questions. I was asked to speak at a conference on the topic of the impact organics has on climate change. Not only was I not qualified to speak, but after some thought I couldn’t even recommend anyone who was! “Interesting topic” was the best I could do! Organic growers use cover crops and compost as fertilizers, which should tie up carbon and reduce their use of nitrogen fertilizers manufactured using fossil fuels. Organic practices to improve soil health should also reduce runoff and conserve water. However, I’m not aware of any study documenting a positive relationship between organic practices and carbon sequestration or other beneficial effects. Are carbon credits for organic production a possibility? Maybe I should be sponsoring an organic farmer as an offset for my international travel rather than planting a tree in the tropics!

In addition to the types of examinations of climate change implications on horticulture that I am suggesting, horticulturists are making a lot of contributions to ameliorating the effects of climate change and reducing some contributing factors and could be making more contributions if funding were available. For example, at the CSREES Plant and Pest Biology meeting in Alexandria, Virginia, last November, many representatives of the disparate groups presenting to CSREES stressed the importance of reducing plant demands for water, fertilizers, and pesticides. All of these issues will become more critical as water supplies decrease, pest pressures increase, and fertilizer costs increase with increases in energy costs. Many horticulturists work with public and home gardens and parks. Although all these open spaces reduce runoff and help tie up carbon, reducing the inputs to these systems would help reduce their carbon footprint. After the record-breaking drought and high temperatures last summer in North Carolina, for example, faculty at NCSU are helping the nursery industry and homeowners cope with watering restrictions such as those imposed last summer.

Horticulturists are also addressing many of the world hunger issues that have recently come to the forefront of public discussions of food policy. For example, the local foods and slow foods movements encourage independence from an energy-intensive global agricultural system. While it can be argued whether the total carbon footprint of locally produced apples is smaller than those shipped from New Zealand, at least locally produced fruits and vegetables travel fewer miles to market, help protect open space around cities that might otherwise be developed, and compete less in the global produce market. Many ASHS members worldwide also help people become less reliant on staple crops such as corn, rice, and soybeans by producing a wider variety of vegetables and fruit.

This column only touches on a few ways that horticulturists contribute to solving both world food problems and the climate crisis. On Earth Day and every day, as we think about how our personal choices, such as taking the bus or buying more fuel-efficient vehicles, affect the environment, let’s also think about the impacts of our research. When ASHS Board members visit Capitol Hill in May, we’ll be making these points to legislators and their staff. Let others know how your research is also making a difference on Earth Day and every day!