El Paso, Texas (November 7, 2024) – How will climate change affect U.S. crops? A team of researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso decided to start their investigation with pecan farms in the region. I’m aiming for it.
Members of a research team take various measurements around a pecan tree at Oranteño Farm in Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico, on July 31, 2023. (not pictured) is an associate professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso, where he investigates the effects of climate change on dryland agroecosystems such as pecan orchards in the Chihuahuan Desert region. .
The research is supported by a grant of approximately $250,000 from the National Science Foundation and is led by Dr. Hugo Gutierrez-Jurado, an associate professor in UTEP’s Department of Earth, Environmental, and Resource Sciences.
“Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, which are already having a significant impact on crops in large agricultural areas in the country’s arid regions,” Gutiérrez-Jurado said. “Plant stress from excessively dry and warm conditions is reducing crop productivity.”
Gutierrez-Jurado said pecans are one of the most economically important crops for communities in the Chihuahuan Desert region on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. The U.S. pecan crop alone will be worth $500 million by 2022, according to Iowa State University’s Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.
UTEP research will investigate how drought, heat waves, and soils affect water and carbon cycling between plants and the atmosphere in dryland agroecosystems. The plan will focus on two orchards in the El Paso area and the Conchos River watershed near the city of Delicias in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.
The researchers will monitor the growth of the trees and root systems, soil and plant water conditions, and canopy temperatures. Their goal is to understand in detail how soil structure and management practices reduce or exacerbate the stresses plants experience during extreme weather events. Additionally, the project will investigate how these stressors affect crops’ ability to sequester, or capture, and store carbon dioxide, a key element in combating climate change.
“This is a new way of looking at the problem. There has been a lot of research on how to increase the productivity of pecans and other crops through input control, especially irrigation levels, but much of that research has focused on climate-related “We didn’t take into account the changes that trees and plants experience as a result of stress,” Gutierrez-Jurado said.
The goal of this research is to uncover valuable insights for farmers and policy makers on how to improve water use efficiency and enhance carbon sequestration in agroecosystems. The research team said that if successful, the study could revolutionize the field of agricultural practices known as precision agriculture. The study aims to improve productivity by taking a closer look at the characteristics and unique variables that affect specific land parcels.
“This research aims to determine the optimal timing of irrigation, which is important to local and international agricultural producers as it helps improve orchard efficiency and protect valuable resources. “It’s great information,” said Dr. Robert Kirken. UTEP University of Science. “Congratulations to Dr. Gutierrez Jurado and his team on receiving this award from NSF.”
Gutierrez-Jurado’s project continues research originally funded by UTEP’s U.S.-Mexico Collaborative Fellowship. The program is designed to strengthen relationships between researchers on both sides of the border and promote academic research that benefits the entire Paso del Norte region. Throughout both phases of the project, Mr. Gutiérrez-Jurado has worked closely with colleagues from Mexican institutions such as the Autonomous University of Chihuahua and the Agricultural and Pequaria National Research Institute.
The research team also plans to work with a local museum in El Paso to create a hands-on, interactive learning experience for the public focused on climate change and its impact on agriculture in the region.
About the University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is one of the largest universities in the United States with a Hispanic-American population. Located in the westernmost part of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 25,000 students are Hispanic, and more than half are the first in their families to attend college. UTEP is America’s only open access top research university, offering 170 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs.
Last updated: November 7, 2024 12:00 AM |Initial publication date: November 7, 2024
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