When Lee Jian went to the Warming Response Institute the highest temperature was 24 degrees Celsius despite it being the middle of winter. "It's like walking around in short sleeves", Lee explains. The high temperatures in the greenhouse allowed the growing of 17 subtropical crops.
Even at the end of autumn, Lee felt warm when entering a greenhouse. Officials explained that the daytime temperature of the house is about 15 degrees, but it feels hot due to high humidity.
The greenhouse is that of the Jeju Rural Development Administration's Warming Response Research Institute, which Lee visited on the 15th. Yellow papaya, rarely seen in Korea, was growing there. Papaya is usually grown at 15 to 18 degrees Celsius. It is a typical subtropical crop that is difficult to grow in Korea, which has four seasons.
Times have changed. As domestic temperatures rise, subtropical fruit cultivation is steadily increasing in the nation. In addition to papaya, mangoes and dragon fruits are grown here, where subtropical crops are being piloted in response to climate change.
Read more at Maeil Business Newspaper