Abstract: Adaptation of agriculture to climate change will be driven at the farm level in first place. The MONICA model was employed in four different modelling exercises for demonstration and testing different management options for farmers in Germany to adjust their production system. 30-Year simulations were run for the periods 1996-2025 and 2056-2085 using future climate data generated by a statistical method on the basis of measured data from 1961 to 2000 and the A1B scenario of the IPCC (2007a). Crop rotation designs that are expected to become possible in the future due to a prolonged vegetation period and at the same time shortened cereal growth period were tested for their likely success. The model suggested that a spring barley succeeding a winter barley may be successfully grown in the second half of the century, allowing for a larger yields by intensification of the cropping cycle. Growing a winter wheat after a sugar beet may lead to future problems as late sowing makes the winter wheat grow into periods prone to drought. Irrigation is projected to considerably improve and stabilise the yields of late cereals and of shallow rooting crops (maize and pea) on sandy soils in the continental climate part of Germany, but not in the humid West. Nitrogen fertiliser management needs to be adjusted to increasing or decreasing yield expectations and for decreasing soil moisture. On soils containing sufficient amounts of Moisture and soil organic matter, enhanced mineralisation is expected to compensate for a greater N demand. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Simulation models are frequently applied to determine the production potential of forage grasses under various scenarios, including climate change. Thorough calibrations and evaluations of forage grass models can help improve their applicability. This study evaluated the ability of the Light Interception and Utilization Simulator-GRAss (LINGRA) model to predict biomass yield of timothy (Phleum pratense L. cv. Grindstad) in the Nordic countries. Variety trial data for the first and second year after establishment were obtained for seven locations: Jokioinen, Finland (60 degrees 48 ‘ N; 23 degrees 29 ‘ E), Maaninka, Finland (63 degrees 09 ‘ N; 27 degrees 18 ‘ E), Korpa, Iceland (64 degrees 09 ‘ N; 21 degrees 45 ‘ W), Srheim, Norway (58 degrees 41 ‘ N; 5 degrees 39 ‘ E), Lillerud, Sweden (59 degrees 24’ N; 13 degrees 16 ‘ E), Ostersund, Sweden (63 degrees 15 ‘ N; 14 degrees 34 ‘ E) and Ulna Sweden (63 degrees 49 ‘ N; 20 degrees 13 ‘ E) from 1992 to 2012. Two calibrations of the LINGRA model were carried out using Bayesian techniques. In the first of these (SRrheim calibration), data on biomass yield and underlying variables obtained from independent field trials at Srheim were used. In the second (Nordic calibration), biomass data from the other locations were used as well. The model was validated against the remaining set of biomass yields from all locations not included in the Nordic calibration. The observed total seasonal yield the first and second year after establishment was 913 and 991 g DM m(-2) respectively on average across the locations. The corresponding average simulated yield after the Srheim calibration was 1044 (root mean square error (RMSE) 258) and 1112 g DM m(-2) (RMSE 312), respectively. After the Nordic calibration, the simulated average total seasonal yield was 863 (RMSE 242) the first year and 927 g DM m(-2) (RMSE 271) the second year after establishment. The differences between the observed and simulated first cut yield followed the same patterns, whereas the prediction accuracy for second cut yield did not differ substantially between the calibration approaches.Using the parameter set from the Nordic region decreased the model predictability at Srheim compared with only using model parameters derived from this location. These results show that using biomass data from several locations, instead of only one specific location, in the calibration of the LINGRA model improved the overall prediction accuracy of first cut dry matter yield and total seasonal dry matter yield across an environmentally heterogeneous region. To further analyse the usefulness of including multi-site data in forage grass model calibrations, other forage grass models could be evaluated against the same dataset.

Abstract: Agricultural production is sensitive to weather and thus directly affected by climate change. Plausible estimates of these climate change impacts require combined use of climate, crop, and economic models. Results from previous studies vary substantially due to differences in models, scenarios, and data. This paper is part of a collective effort to systematically integrate these three types of models. We focus on the economic component of the assessment, investigating how nine global economic models of agriculture represent endogenous responses to seven standardized climate change scenarios produced by two climate and five crop models. These responses include adjustments in yields, area, consumption, and international trade. We apply biophysical shocks derived from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s representative concentration pathway with end-of-century radiative forcing of 8.5 W/m(2). The mean biophysical yield effect with no incremental CO2 fertilization is a 17% reduction globally by 2050 relative to a scenario with unchanging climate. Endogenous economic responses reduce yield loss to 11%, increase area of major crops by 11%, and reduce consumption by 3%. Agricultural production, cropland area, trade, and prices show the greatest degree of variability in response to climate change, and consumption the lowest. The sources of these differences include model structure and specification; in particular, model assumptions about ease of land use conversion, intensification, and trade. This study identifies where models disagree on the relative responses to climate shocks and highlights research activities needed to improve the representation of agricultural adaptation responses to climate change.