News on Climate Change from Europe

Drained peat soils in Denmark account for about one-third of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

El Niño conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific for the first time in seven years, setting the stage for a likely surge in global temperatures and disruptive weather and climate patterns.

Extreme weather incidents are serving to rock Europe’s potato industry to its very foundations. Last year was actually the second warmest year on record in Europe. The drought conditions resulted in a dramatic downturn in overall potato output.

Extreme weather events pose a significant challenge to potato cultivation. Heat and drought stress reduces productivity, causes physiological defects in tubers, and damages crops.

From melting glaciers and flooding to drought, rising global temperature is affecting agriculture in many ways. Potato production is also taking a hit.

Researchers at ETH Zurich and the Carnegie Institution for Science have shown how nitrogen fertilizer could be produced more sustainably. This is necessary not only to protect the climate, but also to reduce dependence on imported natural gas and to increase food security.

The ADAPT project aims at developing new strategies to make potatoes fit for the challenging growth conditions of the future. Within this project, potato varieties trials are conducted in Austria.

During its last meeting prior to Potato Europe 2022, the North-western European Potato Growers (NEPG) estimates that global potato production in the NEPG zone (EU-04) will be down by 7 to 11 %.

Las altas temperaturas afectan a la producción de patata de A Limia, con menor cantidad de tubérculos y de menor tamaño. Variedades como la Agria son de las más afectadas. Conocemos las previsiones cuando comienzan a arrancarse las plantaciones de temprano.

Faced with a historic collapse of potato yield potential due to extreme heat and drought extreme heat and drought, the French Potato Producers Group, UNPT, calls for an immediate reaction from economic agents and public authorities to support the French production.

Las intensas olas de calor que están teniendo lugar a lo largo de los últimos meses están ocasionando que en los cultivos alaveses de patata el número de tubérculos por planta sea menor de lo esperado.

Los arranques de patatas en las variedades tempranas ya se han generalizado en Castilla y León. Colombas, ágatas o algunas rojas son los pintorescos nombres de la mercancía que, a día de hoy, está en el mercado.

How do different potatoes respond to heat, drought, and waterlogging stresses? EU-backed scientists are investigating the changes that make potatoes resilient or susceptible.

Sudstarke GmbH has concluded its 2021 potato starch production campaign. The 2021 production campaign was the most difficult in decades, even team members 40+ years with the company cannot remember anything close.

Some of the largest companies in the world launched a shared initiative to reach the climate goals through ground-breaking technology, Joe Biden’s 'First Movers Coalition'. Fertilizer manufacturer Yara International is one of them.

The Potato Days of HZPC are dedicated to the future of the potato. A future in which the potato provides an important contribution to the food security in the world and helps to combat climate change.

The abundance of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere once again reached a new record last year, with the annual rate of increase above the 2011-2020 average.

The call for abstract submission for WPC 2022 is now open and authors are encouraged to submit their abstract online for consideration. Deadline for Oral Submissions: 30th November 2021. Deadline for Poster Submission: 15th February 2022.