Warm springs not so good for crops

A warmer spring does not necessarily mean bumper crops, according to researchers at the University of Leeds.

It had been thought shorter winters and longer summers caused by global warming would mean longer growing seasons in Britain and other northern climes. But a team, led by Dr Wolfgang Buermann, suggests warmer springs have actually had adverse effects.

Dr Buermann, the lead author at the School of Earth and Environment, said: “There has been a limited understanding of the impact of shorter winters and longer summers on plants until now. The earlier onset of spring was thought to aid plant productivity. However, when there has been an early warm spring, plant productivity pays the price later in the year.”

For example, he said, early growth demands water and when used early by plants, the supply may not be available in such abundance later. The study was published in the journal Nature.