Changing weather patterns are influencing cropping systems and where certain crops can be successfully grown.
Researchers in the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) recently published a study in the journal Sustainability examining the feasibility of expanding fresh vegetable production in Georgia as increased temperatures and more frequent and extreme droughts threaten producers in the Western United States.
"The Southeastern U.S. is a prime candidate for expanding vegetable production in response to reduced yields in the West," said Jeff Mullen, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.
Preparing for agricultural shifts
In anticipation of probable climate variability, Mullen, lead investigator on the project, said the research team explored the consequences of water withdrawals and water quality, as well as risks to different ecological categories, if producers shifted from row crop to vegetable production in the Southeastern U.S.
Read more at: University of Georgia.