Frequently asked questions
Del artikel Print

Frequently asked questions

Will a milder climate result in more pests and more diseases?

 

Answer: Rising temperatures will shorten the life cycle of many pests, so that they can produce more new generations in the course of a single growing season. There is also a risk that pests not previously seen in Denmark, will be able to live here during to the new climate conditions. Milder winters will increase the risk that plant diseases, in particular fungal diseases, will survive the winter, and during especially mild winters fungi may even propagate, leading to greater contagion potential during the early growing season when crops are very vulnerable.

Will climate change lead to increased wash out of nutrients?

 

Answer: Increased winter precipitation will generally lead to more nutrients being washed out into aquatic environment. The increase in nitrogen leaching and runoff will be significantly smaller, if farmers grow more spring-sown crops, and if catch or cover crops are used to hold on to the nutrients in autumn and winter. Phosphorus leaching is expected to increase, and rising temperatures will also lead to greater evaporation of ammonia. The longer growing season will create greater demand for fertilizers and will exacerbate the risk of nutrient leaching and runoff.

How will more rain affect the quality of bathing water?

 

Answer: Climate change will make plant protection a greater problem for organic farmers, especially because of new types of disease and pests. More dry periods during the growing season might cause problems, since in organic farming cereal production is very much based on spring-sown crops, which are less drought-tolerant than winter-sown crops. However, a growing season which is both warmer and which lasts longer will also provide new possibilities. Legume crops, which play a greater role in organic farming than in conventional farming, will mature more easily.