Climate change and agriculture: Interview with Ricardo Serralheiro
What impact does climate change have on agriculture? Professor Ricardo Paulo Serralheiro of the Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas) of the University of Évora, was at the Escola Básica Bernardim Ribeiro (Middle School) to clarify this issue.
Jornal Xarrama de Letras (JXL) – What is the impact of climate change on agriculture?
Ricardo Serralheiro (RS) – Agriculture has various aspects that will be influenced by climate change! Climate change is a reality that is taking place, it is not a hypothesis for the future, we do not know exactly how the future will develop, but you can always simulate. The truth is that its impact is already being felt in agriculture, as an activity, at least in part, dependent on climate, through precipitation, temperatures and humidity. And these are just examples of some climatic characteristics that are changing and, in many cases, these changes are do not favour of agriculture. JXL – Is the Alentejo greatly affected? RS – In the last 50 years here in our region, precipitation has decreased about 100 ml, it went from 600 ml to 500 ml per year, which represents a significant reduction. The rain ceased to be distributed, regularly, over six or seven months of the year, to long periods without rain, such as this year. In other words, this Fall began with heavy rain, particularly in September, which enabled the grain to develop during that month, in October and November, and the dams were able to fill. But from December until now, in May, it rained very little and, as such, agriculture is being greatly affected by this lack of precipitation. In what concerns the temperature, it is increasing. For example, here in the Alentejo cereals are highly dependent on temperature and, as temperatures increase, production decreases. And in the future, this rise in temperature is likely to continue, and this increased irregularity of rainfall does not tend to improve. |
JXL – Which are the crops most affected by the drought?
RS – The most affected crops are dryland cultures. First, cereals and also the pastures, affecting the cattle that are a major economic activity in the Alentejo. If precipitation decreases, then the amount of green matter also decreases as does the amount of feed for livestock. The existence of cattle is challenged by the lack of rainfall and, above all, by irregular precipitation throughout the year, which comes to be even worse than the lack of rain. JXL – How can the farmers adapt to these climate changes? RS – They can modify to some extent the productions, the most sensitive crops. The importance of the most sensitive cultures may decrease. |
Work by: Ana Cláudia Bigotes, Ana Corolina, Margarida Nunes, Soraia Faustino e Daniela Correia
7th and 8th Grade
Escola Básica Bernardim Ribeiro (Middle School), Torrão
This work was carried out under the Lightning Training held on the 27th, the 4th and the 11th of May 2015 at Escola Básica Bernardim Ribeiro (Middle School), in Torrão (Alcácer do Sal). Students developed media content based on interviews with experts in various fields related to climate change and research on the subject.
7th and 8th Grade
Escola Básica Bernardim Ribeiro (Middle School), Torrão
This work was carried out under the Lightning Training held on the 27th, the 4th and the 11th of May 2015 at Escola Básica Bernardim Ribeiro (Middle School), in Torrão (Alcácer do Sal). Students developed media content based on interviews with experts in various fields related to climate change and research on the subject.