Dataset Information

Combating Climate Change in the Kenyan Tea Industry.

ABSTRACT: Climate change triggered by global warming poses a major threat to agricultural systems globally. This phenomenon is characterized by emergence of pests and diseases, extreme weather events, such as prolonged drought, high intensity rains, hailstones and frosts, which are becoming more frequent ultimately impacting negatively to agricultural production including rain-fed tea cultivation. Kenya is predominantly an agricultural based economy, with the tea sector generating about 26% of the total export earnings and about 4% gross domestic product (GDP). In the recent years, however, the country has witnessed unstable trends in tea production associated with climate driven stresses. Toward mitigation and adaptation of climate change, multiple approaches for impact assessment, intensity prediction and adaptation have been advanced in the Kenyan tea sub-sector. Further, pressure on tea breeders to release improved climate-compatible cultivars for the rapidly deteriorating environment has resulted in the adoption of a multi-targeted approach seeking to understand the complex molecular regulatory networks associated with biotic and abiotic stresses adaptation and tolerance in tea. Genetic modeling, a powerful tool that assists in breeding process, has also been adopted for selection of tea cultivars for optimal performance under varying climatic conditions. A range of physiological and biochemical responses known to counteract the effects of environmental stresses in most plants that include lowering the rates of cellular growth and net photosynthesis, stomatal closure, and the accumulation of organic solutes such as sugar alcohols, or osmolytes have been used to support breeding programs through screening of new tea cultivars suitable for changing environment. This review describes simulation models combined with high resolution climate change scenarios required to quantify the relative importance of climate change on tea production. In addition, both biodiversity and ecosystem based approaches are described as a part of an overall adaptation strategy to mitigate adverse effects of climate change on tea in Kenya and gaps highlighted for urgent investigations.

SUBMITTER: Muoki CR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7109314 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Combating Climate Change in the Kenyan Tea Industry.

Muoki Chalo Richard CR Maritim Tony Kipkoech TK Oluoch Wyclife Agumba WA Kamunya Samson Machohi SM Bore John Kipkoech JK

Frontiers in plant science 20200325

Climate change triggered by global warming poses a major threat to agricultural systems globally. This phenomenon is characterized by emergence of pests and diseases, extreme weather events, such as prolonged drought, high intensity rains, hailstones and frosts, which are becoming more frequent ultimately impacting negatively to agricultural production including rain-fed tea cultivation. Kenya is predominantly an agricultural based economy, with the tea sector generating about 26% of the total e ...[more]

PMID: 32269583

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Project description:Abstract Proper knowledge and understanding of climatic variability across different seasons are important in farm management. To learn more about the potential effects of climate change on dairying in Hawaii, we conducted a study on site-specific climate characterization using several variables including rainfall, wind speed (WS), solar radiation, and temperature, at two dairy farms located on Hawai`i Island, Hawai`i, in Ookala named “OK DAIRY” and in Upolu Point named “UP DAIRY.” Temperature–humidity index (THI) and WS variations in the hottest four months (June to September) were analyzed to determine when critical thresholds that affect animal health are exceeded. Rainfall data were used to estimate the capacity of forage production in 6-mo wet (November to April) and dry (May to October) seasons. Future projections of temperature and rainfall were assessed using mid- and end-century gridded data products for low (RCP 4.5) and high emissions (RCP 8.5) scenarios. Our results showed that the “OK DAIRY” site received higher rainfall than the “UP DAIRY” site, favoring grass growth and forage availability. In addition, the “UP DAIRY” site was more stressful for animals during the summer (THI 69 to 73) than the “OK DAIRY” site (THI 67 to 70) as the THI exceeded the critical threshold of 68, which is conducive for high-lactating cattle. On the “UP DAIRY” site, the THI did not drop below 68 during the summer nights, which created fewer opportunities for cattle to recover from heat stress. Future projections indicated that air temperature would increase 1.3 to 1.8 °C by mid-century and 1.6 to 3.2 °C by the end-century at both farms, and rainfall will increase at the “OK DAIRY” site and decrease at the “UP DAIRY” site by the end-century. The agriculture and livestock industries, particularly the dairy and beef subsectors in Hawai`i, are vulnerable to climate changes as higher temperatures and less rainfall will have adverse effects on cattle. The findings in this study demonstrated how both observed and projected changes in climate support the development of long-term strategies for breeding and holistic livestock management practices to adapt to changing climate conditions.

Project description:Climate change is impacting food and beverage crops around the world with implications for environmental and human well-being. While numerous studies have examined climate change effects on crop yields, relatively few studies have examined effects on crop quality (concentrations of nutrients, minerals, and secondary metabolites). This review article employs a culturally relevant beverage crop, tea (Camelia sinensis), as a lens to examine environmental effects linked to climate change on the directionality of crop quality. Our systematic review identified 86 articles as relevant to the review question. Findings provide evidence that shifts in seasonality, water stress, geography, light factors, altitude, herbivory and microbes, temperature, and soil factors that are linked to climate change can result in both increases and decreases up to 50% in secondary metabolites. A gap was found regarding evidence on the direct effects of carbon dioxide on tea quality, highlighting a critical research area for future study. While this systematic review provides evidence that multiple environmental parameters are impacting tea quality, the directionality and magnitude of these impacts is not clear with contradictory evidence between studies likely due to confounding factors including variation in tea variety, cultivar, specific environmental and agricultural management conditions, and differences in research methods. The environmental factors with the most consistent evidence in this systematic review were seasonality and water stress with 14 out of 18 studies (78%) demonstrating a decrease in concentrations of phenolic compounds or their bioactivity with a seasonal shift from the spring and /or first tea harvest to other seasons and seven out of 10 studies (70%) showing an increase in levels of phenolic compounds or their bioactivity with drought stress. Herbivory and soil fertility were two of the variables that showed the greatest contradictory evidence on tea quality. Both herbivory and soil fertility are variables which farmers have the greatest control over, pointing to the importance of agricultural management for climate mitigation and adaptation. The development of evidence-based management strategies and crop breeding programs for resilient cultivars are called for to mitigate climate impacts on crop quality and overall risk in agricultural and food systems.

Dataset Information

Combating Climate Change in the Kenyan Tea Industry.

Publications

Combating Climate Change in the Kenyan Tea Industry.

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