Winters in Ukraine have warmed by 1.5 degrees over the past three decades. Milder winters and shifting seasons impact future harvests, reports SEEDS.
Warming may also lead to the introduction of new crops, says Anush Balyan, Vice President of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences.
"Climate change could expand the cultivation of crops previously uncommon in our regions. Sweet potatoes and physalis, which tolerate heat well, may spread to northern Ukraine," she explained.
Among the new crops that could soon appear in southern Ukraine are yams, an exotic alternative to potatoes, and okra, a heat-loving plant popular in Asia and Africa that thrives in high temperatures.
According to Balyan, climate change may create favorable conditions for heat-demanding plants that previously could not survive in Ukraine's cooler climate. These include safflower, sorghum, coriander, chickpeas, and lentils.
"Among exotic and niche crops, climate change may enable the cultivation of asparagus, artichokes, sweet potatoes, ginger, turmeric, and even some citrus fruits. Watermelon and melon, which are traditionally grown in the Steppe region, are gradually expanding northward and westward. In the south, there will be real opportunities to grow Central Asian and winter melons, which have a much longer growing season than European varieties," she noted.
Source: www.seeds.org.ua