Photo: UMaine
Factsheet
Assessment of water needs in wild blueberries at four phenological stages
In Maine, wild blueberries (mostly Vaccinium angustifolium Ait. and some V. myrtilloides Mitchx) are often grown without irrigation. However, in recent years, variability of rainfall across the growing season has necessitated a broader use of irrigation. Without the extra water provided by irrigation, crop yield and quality can vary greatly. This makes it difficult to meet customer expectations year-to-year. Although this biennial crop is considered drought resistant, several studies have indicated that the application of supplemental water during dry periods can reduce crop failure by improving yield and quality of harvested berries. Long-term climate projections for wild blueberry production regions in Maine and maritime Canada suggest that wild blueberries will receive enough water (in the form of rainfall) in only one out of every five years in August . The purpose of this study is to establish recommendations for wild blueberry irrigation schedules that consider optimal amounts, frequency, and crop developmental stages.
Collaborators: Ali Bello (UMaine), Dr. Rachel E. Schattman (Principle Investigator, UMaine)
Funding: This work was supported by a research grant from the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine Advisory Committee and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch Project number ME0-022332 through the Maine Agricultural & Forest Experiment Station.
Photo: UMaine
Factsheet
Effects of historical and future precipitation on wild blueberries
Changes in precipitation patterns are increasingly affecting plant growth, physiology, and soil (i.e., edaphic) conditions of wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium). However, the future influence of these changes on Maine wild blueberries is not yet fully understood. Considering this knowledge gap, we tested two historical and one probable future precipitation scenarios to determine the effects of changing rainfall patterns on edaphic conditions and the morphological and functional traits of wild blueberries. The major objective of this study was to determine the impact of changing precipitation patterns on wild blueberries by the end of the 21st century. Gaining a better understanding of how this crop will be affected by climate change can help wild blueberry growers and researchers develop climate change mitigation strategies for future food security and sustainable business development.
Collaborators: Ali Bello (UMaine), Dr. Rachel E. Schattman (Principle Investigator, UMaine)
Funding: This work was supported by a research grant from the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine Advisory Committee and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch Project number ME0-022332 through the Maine Agricultural & Forest Experiment Station.
Photo by Alaina Ring (2024)
Factsheet
Scaling up agroforestry: Nursery managers’ perspectives
This study focused on the primary producers of plant material for agroforestry: nurseries. During semi-structured interviews, nursery managers shared their perceptions of individual and industry-wide barriers to production and described how they assess potential demand for plant material. By using a qualitative approach that generates in-depth perspectives from central players in the plant material pipeline, we are better equipped to pinpoint specific gaps in assistance, funding, and organizational support as well as identify high-impact areas for future research and investment. While this study only included privately-owned businesses located in the United States, there are state, federal, tribal, and conservation district nurseries that also produce substantial amounts of plant material and should be considered for future studies. This paper describes the various barriers to scaling up nursery production for agroforestry and other purposes (e.g., reforestation and conservation) discussed by nursery managers in interviews and describes potential pathways for addressing these challenges.
Collaborators: Alaina Ring (UMaine), Rachel Schattman (UMaine), Kate MacFarland (USDA National Agroforestry Center), Matthew Smith (USDA National Agroforestry Center), and Samantha Bosco (Postdoctoral research associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Funding: This project is supported by the USDA Northeast Climate Hub (20-JV-11242306-087), Wyman’s, and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch Project number ME0-022332 through the Maine Agricultural & Forest Experiment Station.
Photo by Adam Kuykendall (2021)
Manuscripts
The effects of changing precipitation on specialty crops in the Northeast
The Northeast, a historically a water-rich region, is forecasted to experience annual precipitation as a result of climate change. This increase will come with a change in the overall rainfall pattern of the region, as heavy rains are predicted to become more frequent, and droughts potentially more severe. Heavy rains can lead to saturated soils, which can disrupt normal plant function, increase the spread of disease, and lead to changes in field management. Droughts will likely threaten crop yield and quality, and change irrigation needs. Our team first studied this dynamic in strawberries (pictured at left), and are now conducting greenhouse trials with wild blueberries. In 2023, we will begin a new field trial as part of the Wyman’s Center for Wild Blueberry Research and Innovation, a partnership between Wyman’s and the University of Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station (MAFES).
Collaborators: Ali Bello (UMaine), Bruce Hall (Wyman’s), Haley Jean (UMaine), Rachel Schattman (UMaine), Alicyn Smart (UMaine Extension), Yongjiang Zhang (UMaine), Sean Birkel (UMaine), Kallol Barai (UMaine), Seanna Annis (UMaine), Phil Fanning (UMaine), Diane Rowland (UMaine), Brian McGill (UMaine), Oluwafemi Alaba (UMaine)
Funding: Wyman’s, the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, the University of Maine Food and Agriculture Center (MFAC), MAFES (MEO #022332)
Manuscripts
Resources
Climate adaptation practices in agricultural advisor-farmer knowledge networks: Tracking the long-term impacts of the Northeast Climate Adaptation Fellowship
Climate change is requiring farmers and agricultural advisors alike to continuously adapt and learn. Professional development training aimed at this group can be delivered in a variety of ways, including programs that leverage peer-to-peer and community of practice approaches. This research aims to use one educational program, the 2021 Climate Adaptation Fellowship (CAF) Vegetable and Small Fruit program as a case study. The CAF group consisted of 37 advisor and farmer ‘Fellows’ from across the Northeast. The research will use surveys, interviews and farm visits to track how the program enabled changes for participants and use Social Network Analysis (SNA) to discover how information and advice related to climate adaptation flows and evolves through the social networks of these Fellows. The results will help to inform the design of climate adaptation extension and advisory services.
Collaborators: Sara Delaney Studer (UMaine), Rachel Schattman (UMaine), Erin Lane (USDA Northeast Climate Hub), Marjorie Kaplan (Rutgers Climate Change Insitute)
Funding: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward numbers ENE20-164-34268 and GNE21-253-35383.
Credit: Tessa McGann
Manuscripts
Factsheet
Climate change perceptions and adaptation among foresters in the Northeast
Foresters in the Northeast are challenged to adapt their management to account for changing temperatures, precipitation regimes, and other related environmental factors. This research aims to assess how urban and rural foresters perceive climate risks and associated adaptive strategies, and what factors limit or facilitate their adaptation. Data will be gathered through interviews, surveys, and focus groups; findings will be used to inform concurrent field trials of adaptive forestry practices and to guide the focus of future research.
Collaborators: Tony D’Amato (UVM), Rachel Schattman (UMaine), Tessa McGann (UVM), Rachel Swanwick (UVM), Todd Ontl (Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science), Caitlin Littlefield (UVM), Jennifer Pontius (UVM and US Forest Service Northern Research Station), Paul Schaberg (USFS-NRS), and Gary Hawley (UVM)
Funding: “Adaptation and restoration of northern forests: Collaborative management of forests at risk across the urban to rural gradient” - USDA McIntire Stennis Forestry Research Program
Manuscripts
Climate change perceptions and adaptation approaches of Northeast farmers
Farmers are constantly responding to changing environmental, economic, and social conditions. Climate change poses a series of unique challenges, specifically to agricultural producers in the Northeast, where temperature and precipitation conditions are expected to change. This study, conducted in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team, looked at what farmers are already doing to adapt to climate change in the state of Vermont, and how their perspectives on climate change do or do not affect their decision making.
Collaborators: V. Ernesto Mendez, Martha Caswell, Kate Westdijk, Joshua Faulkner, Stephanie Hurley, Christopher Koliba, Asim Zia, E. Carol Adair, Linda Berlin, David Conner, Heather Darby, Jenn Miller, Alex Helling
Funding: University of Vermont Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the UVM Food Systems Initiative, the Vermont Community Foundation, the Gund Institute for the Environment, the UVM Environmental Program, the EPSCOR Research on Adaptation to Climate Change (RACC), and USDA Hatch.
Manuscripts
Perceptions of climate change and adaptation among federal agency employees
In partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture Climate Hubs and two USDA Agencies (the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency), we investigated perceptions of climate and weather related risks among Agency field staff across the country. We synthesized survey data with crop loss indemnity payments and drought severity metrics to further explore drivers of climate-related risk perception.
Collaborators: Rachel Schattman (UMaine), Gabrielle Roesch-McNally (American Farmland Trust), Sarah Wiener (USDA Southeast Climate Hub), Meredith T. Niles (University of Vermont), Julian Reyes (USDA Southwest Climate Hub), Benoit Parmentier (National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), John Cobb (USDA Forest Service), Sarah Champion (North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies)
Maps by Scott Merrill
Manuscripts
Modeling the effects of climate change on agricultural pests
Changing climate patterns will likely affect insect pressure on many agricultural crops. Environmental changes may result in elevated populations in subsequent years and allow for range expansion into areas with previously inhospitable winters. Corn flea beetle (Chaetocnema pulicaria, Melsheimer) is responsible for not only damage to corn foliage, but it also serves as the primary overwintering vector for Erwinia stewartii bacterium, which causes Stewart’s Wilt. Our work suggests that climate change and associated increasing winter temperatures in the United States will lead to a dramatic increase in the probability of severe damage from corn flea beetle across the U.S., including the Corn Belt.
Collaborators: Rachel Schattman (UMaine) and Scott C. Merrill (University of Vermont)
Image by Holly Greenleaf
Manuscripts
Photovisualization for climate adaptation
Photovisualizations (PVZs) are tools increasingly used to help decision-makers in natural resources fields, especially those that engage public participation in management decisions. These tools have been applied in public processes to assist participants to visualize the impacts associated with climate change. PVZs are accessible and complementary to other forms of communication, and can help laypersons with limited background knowledge engage with technical topics. In this project, our objectives were to determine (1) whether PVZ can aid in decision-making about climate change adaptation, and if so, (2) what characteristics of PVZ are most effective at conveying spatial aspects of adaptation practices.
Project lead: Stephanie Hurley (University of Vermont). Collaborators: Rachel Schattman (UMaine), Holly Greenleaf (UVM), Meredith Niles (UVM) and Martha Caswell (UVM)