Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Studying the Effects of Climate Change on Coffee

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 17 2011 (IPS) - An experimental study by the state-run Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) will attempt to determine the impacts of climate change on coffee crops. The experiment will simulate an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, in order to analyze the impacts on crops. A plantation with 35,000 coffee plants will be studied for two years, using equipment that will release carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, in accordance with the wind direction.

The irrigation of the plantation will also be modified to simulate the changes in rainfall patterns caused by global warming. "We want to know if there will be an increase in the density of pests, mutations in diseases, changes in the flavor of the coffee and alterations in the growth time of the plants," researcher Raquel Ghini told Tierramérica.

"Brazil is a major coffee producer. This study will offer an overview of the potential problems and tools to search for solutions," she added.