Engaging Farmers in Climate Change Adaptation Planning: Assessing Intercropping as a Means to Support Farm Adaptive Capacity
Engaging Farmers in Climate Change Adaptation Planning: Assessing Intercropping as a Means to Support Farm Adaptive Capacity
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DOI：
10.3390/agriculture6030034
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发表时间：
2016-07
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Sari J. Himanen;H. Mäkinen;Karoliina Rimhanen;Riitta Savikko
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Sari J. Himanen;H. Mäkinen;Karoliina Rimhanen;Riitta Savikko
农业是面临气候变化的最脆弱和最容易适应的生计来源之一。农民和研究人员的联合适应规划有助于制定切实可行、环境和经济上合理的适应行动，并鼓励积极建设农场适应能力。在一次开放研讨会上，芬兰农民和农村利益相关者对间作、在时间和空间上同时种植两种或多种作物基因型作为应对气候变化的一种手段的看法进行了收集。我们的目的是确定与间作相关的潜力和挑战、其作为适应策略的作用以及农场的适应能力。定性分析表明，间作的主要潜力是提高产量安全性、提高养分和蛋白质自给自足、保持和维护土壤、减少病原体压力以及调节水动态。农业经济和环境方面的潜力也得到了认可。与间作相关的主要挑战与缺乏有关作物品种性能和混合物最佳产量、种子纯度的行业和政策要求、更复杂的作物管理和收获以及与新型混合物试验相关的经济风险的信息有关。固氮豆类；深根性物种，如紫花苜蓿 (Medicago sativa L.)；特殊作物，例如混合饲料中的草本植物；秋季播种的冬季油籽和谷物被认为是最有前途的间作作物。由于公认的潜力与保护田间作物免受预期气候变化和相关天气变化的影响有关，因此我们得出结论，间作可以作为一种适应策略，以增强芬兰农场的适应能力。然而，确保允许间作种植发展的市场和政策、进行实验以评估效益并在实践中实施各种方案，以及为农民和农场顾问提供更多有关该方法的知识，是更广泛采用间作种植的关键先决条件。
Agriculture is one of the most vulnerable and adaptation-prone sources of livelihood facing climate change. Joint adaptation planning by farmers and researchers can help develop practically feasible and environmentally and economically sound adaptation actions as well as encourage the proactive building of farm adaptive capacity. Here, the perceptions of Finnish farmers and rural stakeholders regarding intercropping, the cultivation of two or more crop genotypes together in time and space, as a means to prepare for climate change, were collected in an open workshop. Our aim was to identify the potentials and challenges associated with intercropping, its role as an adaptation strategy, and in farm adaptive capacity. Qualitative analysis revealed better yield security, increased nutrient and protein self-sufficiency, soil conservation and maintenance, reduced pathogen pressure and regulation of water dynamics as the main perceived potentials of intercropping. Potentials relating to the farm economy and environment were also recognized. The main challenges associated with intercropping were related to the lack of information on crop variety performance and optimal yielding in mixtures, industry and policy requirements for seed purity, more complicated crop management and harvesting, and the economic risks associated with experimenting with novel mixtures. Nitrogen-fixing legumes; deep-rooted species, such as lucerne (Medicago sativa L.); special crops, such as herbs in forage mixtures; and autumn-sown winter oilseeds and cereals were highlighted as the most promising intercrops. Because the recognized potentials relate to the safeguarding of field cropping from anticipated climate change and the associated weather variability, we conclude that intercropping can serve as one adaptation strategy to strengthen the adaptive capacity of Finnish farms. However, assuring markets and policies that allow the development of intercropping, performing experiments to assess the benefits and implement options in practice, and providing farmers and farm advisors with more knowledge on the method represent the critical prerequisites for the broader adoption of intercropping.