Landwards Spring 2021
Practice:
SWMC conference report
The scale of change facing modern farmers – and some of the tools and techniques they can use – were explored in a succession of papers at the Soil & Water Management Centre virtual conference in December 2020. Continuing rises in global temperatures mean species are moving around the world in a progression that would pose threats 12
and create opportunities, said Professor Simon Jeffrey from Harper Adams University. Climate change is currently estimated to be propelling a range of crops, pests and pathogens towards the north and south by an average of 2.7 kilometres a year: “Species either move north or south, or they move up towards higher altitudes.” This would have an effect both on cropping and livestock farming with livestock being more prone to heat
stress and dairy cows’ milk yields might drop: “We might need to change the varieties and animals being farmed. New crops could be grown, including vines, sunflowers, pumpkins and garlic,” he said. Some existing crops such as sugar beet might benefit from higher yield potential, with the longer growing seasons offered by warmer springs and autumns. But it could also have negative effects on food security unless there
