© 2026. The Trustees of Indiana University
Copyright Complaints
1229 East Seventh Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
News, Arts and Culture from WFIU Public Radio and WTIU Public Television
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Study: Climate Change Forces New Choices For Farmers

As our planet changes, so do the things we grow from it, though until now, it's been hard to know how those changes would play out for farmers.

But researchers at the University of Illinois found food producers will have to adjust their planting seasons in the coming years, thanks to climate change.

The study measures the difference in field working days – days that can be used for planting, tilling, monitoring, and harvesting crops – that will come either earlier or later as the climate becomes wetter in the spring and hotter in the summer.

To mitigate these changes, the study suggests farmers choose crop varieties with longer maturation cycles that can tolerate drought, or quick-maturing varieties that can be harvested before the heat of the summer.

Read More:

  • A Concrete Way To See How Climate Change Will Affect Farming (Modern Farmer)
  • Farming riskier due to climate change (AgriNews)