Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Control of Arable Crop Pathogens; Climate Change Mitigation, Impacts and Adaptation

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Plant Genomics and Climate Change

  • 985 Accesses

Abstract

In the context of threats to global food security from impacts of damaging crop diseases and of climate change, this chapter describes three aspects of the interactions between climate change and diseases that reduce arable crop yields. It considers the role of crop disease control in climate change mitigation, by estimating consequences for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of crop management strategies to control diseases, using UK oilseed rape and barley crops as examples. In this chapter we conclude that good control of crop diseases, resulting in more efficient use of nitrogen fertiliser, can decrease UK GHG from crop production by c. 1.6 Mt CO2 eq. each year. Within the chapter we discuss impacts of climate change on incidence of crop diseases and their effects on crop yields, using UK oilseed rape phoma stem canker and wheat fusarium ear blight as examples. For both these diseases, it is estimated that global warming will increase the range and severity of epidemics. To make such estimates, it is emphasised that it is important to estimate impacts of climate on both crop growth and disease development. In response to such projections of impacts of climate change, within this chapter we assess strategies for adaptation to climate change of crop disease management to decrease arable crop losses related to climate change, for both policymakers and farmers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson PK, Cunningham AA, Patel NG, Morales FJ, Epstein PR, Daszak P (2004) Emerging infectious diseases of plants: pathogen pollution, climate change and agrotechnology drivers. Trends Ecol Evol 19:535–544

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Azeez G (2009) Soil carbon and organic farming. A review on the relationship between agriculture and soil carbon sequestration, and how organic farming can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Soil Association, Bristol

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes AP, Wreford A, Butterworth MH, Semenov MA, Moran D, Evans N et al (2010) Adaptation to increasing severity of phoma stem canker on winter oilseed rape in the UK under climate change. J Agric Sci 148:683–694

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergot M, Cloppet E, Perarnaud V, Deque M, Marcais B, Desprez-Loustau ML (2004) Simulation of potential range expansion of oak disease caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi under climate change. Glob Change Biol 10:1539–1552

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berry PM, Kindred DR, Paveley ND (2008) Quantifying the effects of fungicides and disease resistance on greenhouse gas emissions associated with wheat production. Plant Pathol 57:1000–1008

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brisson N, Gary C, Justes E, Roche R, Mary B, Ripoche D et al (2003) An overview of the crop model STICS. Eur J Agron 18:309–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brun H, Chevre AM, Fitt BDL, Powers S, Besnard AL, Ermel M et al (2010) Quantitative resistance increases the durability of qualitative resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans in Brassica napus. New Phytol 185:285–299

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burney JA, Davis SJ, Lobell DB (2010) Greenhouse gas mitigation by agricultural intensification. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107:12052–12057

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Butterworth MH, Semenov MA, Barnes A, Moran D, West JS, Fitt BDL (2010) North-south divide; contrasting impacts of climate change on crop yields in Scotland and England. J R Soc Interface 7:123–130

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Carlton RR, West JS, Smith P, Fitt BDL (2012) A comparison of GHG emissions from UK field crop production under selected arable systems with reference to disease control. Eur J Plant Pathol 133:333–351

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coakley SM, Scherm H, Chakraborty S (1999) Climate change and plant disease management. Annu Rev Phytopathol 37:399–426

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Committee on Climate Change (2010) Meeting carbon budgets – ensuring a low-carbon recovery. Second progress report to parliament. http://downloads.theccc.org.uk/0610/pr_meeting_carbon_budgets_full_report.pdf

  • DECC (2012) Agriculture GHG inventory summary factsheet. Department of Energy and Climate Change, London, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greenhouse-gas-inventory-summary

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans N, Baierl A, Semenov MA, Gladders P, Fitt BDL (2008) Range and severity of plant disease increased by global warming. J R Soc Interface 5:525–531

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Evans N, Butterworth MH, Baierl A, Semenov MA, West JS, Barnes A et al (2010) The impact of climate change on disease constraints on production of oilseed rape. Food Secur 2:143–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2009) 1.02 Billion people hungry; one sixth of humanity undernourished – more than ever before. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations). http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/20568/icode/

  • Fisher MC, Henk DA, Briggs CJ, Brownstein JS, Madoff LC, McCraw SL et al (2013) Emerging fungal threats to animal, plant and ecosystem health. Nature 484:186–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fitt BDL, Fraaije BA, Chandramohan P, Shaw MW (2011) Impacts of changing air composition on severity of arable crop disease epidemics. Plant Pathol 60:44–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrett KA, Dendy SP, Frank EE, Rouse MN, Travers SE (2006) Climate change effects on plant disease: genomes to ecosystems. Annu Rev Phytopathol 44:489–509

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Glendining MJ, Dailey AG, Williams AG, van Evert FK, Goulding KWT, Whitmore AP (2009) Is it possible to increase the sustainability of arable and ruminant agriculture by reducing inputs? Agr Syst 99:117–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gregory PJ, Johnson SN, Newton AC, Ingram JS (2009) Integrating pests and pathogens into the climate change/food security debate. J Exp Bot 60:2827–2838

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huang YJ, Evans N, Li ZQ, Eckert M, Chevre AM, Renard M et al (2006) Temperature and leaf wetness duration affect phenotypic expression of Rlm6-mediated resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans in Brassica napus. New Phytol 170:129–141

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes DJ, West JS, Atkins SD, Gladders P, Jeger MJ, Fitt BDL (2011) Effects of disease control by fungicides on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by UK arable crop production. Pest Manag Sci 67:1082–1092

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hulme M, Jenkins GJ, Lu X, Turnpenny JR, Mitchell TD, Jones RG et al (2002) Climate change scenarios for the United Kingdom: the UKCIP02 scientific report. Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, p 120

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson J, Li Y, Passant N, Thistlethwaite G, Thomson A, Cardenas L (2007) Greenhouse gas inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: 1990–2005. AEA Environment and Technology, Didcot, p 40, http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/2230/

    Google Scholar 

  • Jamieson P, Semenov MA, Brooking I, Francis G (1998) SIRIUS: a mechanistic model of wheat response to environmental variation. Eur J Agron 8:161–179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones R, Noguer M, Hassell DC, Hudson D, Wilson SS, Jenkins GJ et al (2004) Generating high resolution climate change scenarios using PRECIS. Met Office Hadley Centre, Exeter, p 40

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin BB, Chappell MJ, Vandermeer J, Smith G, Quintero E, Bezner-Kerr R et al (2011) Effects of industrial agriculture on climate change and the mitigation potential of small-scale agroecological farms. CAB Rev Perspect Agr Vet Sci Nutr Nat Resour 6:1–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Madgwick JW, West JS, White RP, Semenov MA, Townsend JA, Turner JA et al (2011) Impacts of climate change on wheat anthesis and fusarium ear blight in the UK. Eur J Plant Pathol 130:117–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahmuti M, West JS, Watts J, Gladders P, Fitt BDL (2009) Controlling crop disease contributes to both food security and climate change mitigation. Int J Agr Sustain 7:189–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakicenovic N, Alcamo J, Davis G, Vries B, de Fen-hann J, Gaffin S et al (2000) Emissions scenarios. In: Nakicenovic N, Swart R (eds) Special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Oerke EC (2006) Crop losses to pests. J Agric Sci 144:31–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidhuber J, Tubiello FN (2007) Global food security under climate change. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 104:19703–19708

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Semenov MA (2007) Development of high-resolutionUKCIP02-based climate change scenarios in the UK. Agr Forest Meteorol 144:127–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith P, Martino D, Cai Z, Gwary D, Janzen H, Kumar P et al (2008) Greenhouse gas mitigation in agriculture. Philos Trans R Soc B 363:789–813

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stern N (2007) The economics of climate change: the Stern review. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Strange RN, Scott PR (2005) Plant disease: a threat to global food security. Annu Rev Phytopathol 43:83–116

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • West JS, Holdgate S, Townsend JA, Edwards SG, Jennings P, Fitt BDL (2012a) Impacts of changing climate and agronomic factors on fusarium ear blight of wheat in the UK. Fungal Ecol 5:53–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • West JS, Townsend JA, Stevens M, Fitt BDL (2012b) Comparative biology of different plant pathogens to estimate effects of climate change on crop diseases in Europe. Eur J Plant Pathol 133:315–331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu XM, Nicholson P (2009) Community ecology of fungal pathogens causing wheat head blight. Annu Rev Phytopathol 47:83–103

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xu XM, Monger W, Ritieni A, Nicholson P (2007) Effect of temperature and duration of wetness during initial infection periods on disease development, fungal biomass and mycotoxin concentrations on wheat inoculated with single, or combinations of Fusarium species. Plant Pathol 56:943–956

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang X, Halder J, White RP, Hughes DJ, Ye Z, Wang C et al (2014) Climate change increases risk of fusarium ear blight on wheat in central China. Ann Appl Biol 164:384–395

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC, Bioenergy and Climate Change ISPG) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra, OREGIN, IF0144), HGCA and the Sustainable Arable LINK programme (PASSWORD, LK0944; CORDISOR, LK0956; CLIMDIS, LK09111) for funding this research, and the British Society for Plant Pathology for supplementary funding. We thank Michael Butterworth, Neal Evans, James Madgwick, Martin Mahmuti, Mikhail Semenov, Rodger White, Xu Zhang (University of Hertfordshire), Andreas Baierl (University of Vienna), Andrew Barnes, Dominic Moran (SRUC), Rob Carlton (Carlton Consultancy) and Jack Watts (HGCA) for their contributions to this work. We are grateful to many colleagues for supplying data or advice for this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life & Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane Campus, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9AB, UK

    Bruce D. L. Fitt M.A., Ph.D., D.I.C., F.R.S.B. & Henrik Uwe Stotz Ph.D.

  2. Computational & Systems Biology, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK

    David John Hughes M.Sc., D.Phil.

Authors
  1. Bruce D. L. Fitt M.A., Ph.D., D.I.C., F.R.S.B.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David John Hughes M.Sc., D.Phil.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Henrik Uwe Stotz Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruce D. L. Fitt M.A., Ph.D., D.I.C., F.R.S.B. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Plant Biology and Institute of, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, Australia

    David Edwards

  2. School of Plant Biology and Institute of, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Queensland, Australia

    Jacqueline Batley

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Fitt, B.D.L., Hughes, D.J., Stotz, H.U. (2016). Control of Arable Crop Pathogens; Climate Change Mitigation, Impacts and Adaptation. In: Edwards, D., Batley, J. (eds) Plant Genomics and Climate Change. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3536-9_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation