An international research team’s data analysis model could help California’s strawberry farmers prepare their harvests for adverse conditions caused by warming temperatures.
The team included postdoctoral fellow Dr. Poornima Unnikrishnan and professor Dr. Kumaraswamy Ponnambalam from the University of Waterloo’s Department of Systems Design Engineering, and Dr. Fakhri Karray from the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi. Their research presents implications for the availability and cost of produce imported from California to Canada.
The researchers began their analysis with strawberries because of their popularity and notoriously short shelf life. In 2022, Canadian imports of strawberries from California were worth US$322.8 million.
The team used a model that predicts probability of yield loss by linking air temperature anomalies and strawberry yield. This process allowed for the measurement of greater variability over time and the most accurate findings to date. They found that a rise in temperature of 3 degrees Fahrenheit could reduce California strawberry yields by up to 40 per cent.
This method aims to provide farmers with valuable insights that could promote sustainable farming practices across various food crops amidst ongoing impacts of climate change.
“Our research shows how climate change can directly impact the foods we love, emphasizing the importance of sustainable farming practices to maintain a stable and affordable food supply for everyone,” Unnikrishnan said.
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