Not just climate warming – if the crops are more non-diversified GMO seeded crops, the fungi would spread even faster and over a larger area.
The following is a list of fungi, pests and diseases that could be potentially exacerbated by climate change. It is lifted directly from The Independent.
Asian Soybean Rust affects the soya crop in Brazil, the world’s biggest producer. There are more than 244 confirmed cases this year. Industry spending on insecticides and fungicides is expected to reach $11 billion.
Cocoa Pod Borer Disease: Cocoa bean production in Indonesia, the world’s third-largest producer, is likely to dip 2 percent to 410,000 metric tons for 2013-2014, according to the International Cocoa Organization. The fall is in part due to a tiny, mosquito-sized moth which attacks the plant.
Potato Blight is a fungus-like organism that thrives in damp, humid conditions. The speed with which blight infection occurs and the devastating impact on the crop make it the biggest threat to the six million tons of potatoes produced in the UK each year.
Coffee Leaf Rust is an orange-colored fungus that has swept through coffee fields from Mexico to Panama. The epidemic is affecting the livelihoods of more than two million people and causing the loss of 500,000 jobs.
Banana Fungus (TR4): This soil-borne disease is threatening banana crops in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The value of traded bananas worldwide totals $8.9 billion.




You must be logged in to post a comment.