Better soil data key for future food security
Tuesday, June 21, 2016 - 04:01
in Earth & Climate
To project how much food can be produced in the future, researchers use agricultural models that estimate crop yield, or how much of a crop can be produced in a certain amount of space. These models take into account factors like climate and weather variability, irrigation, fertilizer, and soil type. A new study published in the journal Nature Communications shows that the type of soil used in such a model can often outweigh the effects of weather variability—such as year to year changes in rainfall and temperature.