Affiliation:
1. Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Institute of Landscape Engineering
Abstract
The threat of climate change and its negative consequences is currently a very serious and immediate problem. The most observable manifestation of climate change is undoubtedly global warming. The higher air temperature has already affected the length of the growing season in a large part of Europe. Flowering and ripening of cereals begin a few days earlier than was usual. These changes are expected to continue in many regions. The extension of the growing season and the frost-free period can generally lead to an increase in the productivity of agricultural production in Northern Europe. Higher temperatures and longer growing seasons allow new crops to be grown. On the other hand, extreme heat and a decrease in rainfall and water availability are expected to reduce crop productivity. Higher fluctuations in annual crop yields are expected due to the influence of extreme heat. This extreme heat is also associated with an increased incidence of pests and diseases. In the presented work, we focus on the changes in the areas of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) cultivation in the years 1961-2020 with predictions for the horizons of 2050, 2075, 2100. The analysis itself was based on the length of the growing season. It is clear from the results how the areas of the possibility of growing the analyzed crop are changing, and what will be the assumption of changes in areas in the future. The change of individual bands changes in connection with the change of average temperatures. The results show how the possibilities of growing the analyzed crop are shifting to higher altitudes precisely in connection with climate change.