Farmers' nightmare, an increasing spring frost damage, and crop loss may come with climate change in Hungary

Published 2024년 5월 22일

Tridge summary

Hungary's agricultural productivity, particularly in fruit orchards, is under threat due to spring frost damage, despite the overall decrease in frosty days due to global warming. Apples, which make up 70% of Hungary's tree fruit production, are especially vulnerable. The article highlights the need for strategic adaptation, such as cultivating frost-resistant varieties and exploring alternative production sites. It also stresses the importance of reducing emissions to mitigate the expected increase in frost damage. Climate models suggest that without emission reduction, the number of frost-prone years could double by the end of the century, especially in Transdanubia and the southern part of the Nyírség. However, if greenhouse gas emissions are curtailed, the frequency of these adverse conditions may be significantly lower.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

80% of crop losses in orchards can be attributed to spring frost damage. Although the number of frosty days is decreasing in Hungary as a whole due to global warming, there are still and will be frosty periods in spring, and moreover, due to the earlier flowering, it is precisely in this critical period. Until the turn of the millennium, we were a major power in the production of apples and plums, but today, with the exception of cherries, the amount of other fruits has fallen. Apples account for 70% of all tree fruits produced in Hungary, but nearly 40% of the fruit area is located in a single region, Szabolcs-Szatmár. In addition to longer-term adaptation efforts (planting frost-tolerant varieties, searching for other production areas), we should strive for prevention and emission reduction, because it is more profitable and efficient. There are several different scenarios for modeling the expected climate change, but according to the pessimist, if we do not deal with emissions ...

Source: Magro