IMPACTS AND ADAPTATIONPROGRAM : AGRICULTURE

PROJECT START AND END DATESMARCH 2010 • SEPTEMBER 2012

Information :Anne Blondlotprojet@ouranos.ca514-282-6464

LEAD SCIENTISTS● Denise Bachand Centre de référence en agriculture et agroalimentaire du Québec (CRAAQ)● Gaétan Bourgeois Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Commission agrométéorologie du CRAAQ.

OTHER PARTICIPANTS● Centre d’expertise hydrique du Québec (CEHQ)● La Financière agricole du Québec (FADQ) ● Institut de recherche et de développement en agroenvironnement (IRDA)● Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation (MAPAQ)

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CONTEX T Agricultural producers are accustomed to dealing with daily weather variability, but they also understand that they need to include climate change in their planning considerations. To facilitate the adaptation process, it is essential to provide crop advisors with access to critical knowledge and all available agroclimatic tools in order to improve their expertise, since they are the ones who support producers in their decision making. The Commission agrométéorologie of the Centre de référence en agriculture et agroalimentaire du Québec (CRAAQ) took on the mandate of providing this access. The CRAAQ is used to bring together experts from diverse organizations and has a recognized expertise in disseminating information.

OBJECTIVES• Developaninventoryofexistingknowledgeandagroclimatictools.• Proposearangeofactivitiesforraisingawarenessanddisseminatinginformation about climate change-related opportunities and risks and the application of agroclimatic tools.Stakeholders from thecropsector (fieldcrops,horticulture,etc.), including crop advisors, agricultural professionals, producers and researchers, were the primary targets for these activities.

APPROACH• Produce an inventory of available knowledge and agroclimatic tools through numerous exchanges among the project collaborators. • Developaplanfortheproductionoftechnicalfactsheets.• Identifyindividualstoprepareeachofthetechnicalfactsheets.Eacheditorhadthe support of a supervisory committee and a group of experts charged with the technical revision of each document before distribution.• Establishorganizingcommitteestodefinetheprogramfortwosymposiaandhelp organize them.

REFERENCE

Bachand D., L. Lauzon and G. Bourgeois. 2012. Sensibilisation et diffusion d'informations sur les opportunités et les risques associés aux changements climatiques pour l'agriculture au Québec, Final report for Ouranos. (in French only)http://www.ouranos.ca/media/publication/224_RapportBachandetal2012.pdf

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RAISING AWARENESS AND DISSEMINATING INFORMATION ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE-RELATED OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS FOR THE QUEBEC AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

FUNDING

See reverse side for results.

Les résultats et opinions présentés dans cette publication sont entièrement la responsabilité des auteurs et n’engagent pas Ouranos ni ses membres.

Rapport final

Projet 550003-GXI

Sensibilisation et diffusion d'informations sur les opportunités et les risques associés aux changements climatiques pour l'agriculture au Québec

30 septembre 2012

CONSORTIUM ON RE G IONA L CL IMATOLOGY

A N D A DA P TAT I O N TO C L I M AT E C H A N G E

RESULTSSix technical factsheets were produced on the following topics:• Leréseauquébécoisdestationsmétéorologiquesetl’informationgénéréepourlesecteuragricole;• Interpretationofclimatechangescenariosinordertoimprovethemanagementofagriculturalrisks;• Indicesagrométéorologiquespourl'aideàladécisiondansuncontextedeclimatvariableetenévolution(e.g.,figurebelowatright);• Modèlesbioclimatiquespourlaprédictiondelaphénologie,delacroissance,durendementetdelaqualitédescultures;• Modèlesbioclimatiquespourlaprévisiondesrisquesassociésauxennemisdesculturesdansuncontextedeclimatvariable etenévolution;• Implicationsdesscénariosclimatiquesfuturssurlagestiondessolsetdel’eauàlaferme.

These technical fact sheets are available for download athttp://www.craaq.qc.ca/commission-agrometeorologieunder the tab “Réalisations.” They will be available inFrench only except for the second factsheet.

Two agroclimatology symposia on the theme “Available tools and climate change” were held in Drummondville in March 2011 and March 2012. The 2011 symposium included 10 presen-tations on three themes: “Tools available to better manage climate variability and change,” “An overview of current climate and observed trends,” and “Climate change scenarios and their conse- quences.” The 2012 symposium included nine presentations on the themes of water and the practical applications of agroclimatology. Summaries and Powerpoint presentations for all of these are available from Agri-Réseau at:

http://www.agrireseau.qc.ca/navigation.aspx?r=agroclimatologie

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RAISING AWARENESS AND DISSEMINATING INFORMATION ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE-RELATED OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS FOR THE QUEBEC AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

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Breakdown of participants in the two agroclimatology symposia “Available tools and climate change”

(% of people who responded to surveys)

BENEFITS FOR ADAPTATION Agricultural sector users (crop advisors and producers, professionals in government and financial institutions, etc.):

➔ nowhaveaccesstosummaryknowledgeonclimatechangeanditspotentialimpactsontheagriculturalsector;

➔ can access resource documents validated by experts, including an inventory of the knowledge and tools available for dealingwithexpectedclimatechanges;

➔ growing numbers will be more aware and better informed, and thus better able to take climate change into consideration in their activities and decision making.

March 9, 2011 March 7, 2012

Crop advisors 23 % 25 %

Researchers/faculty/research professionals 20 % 14 %

Government professionals 18 % 22 %

Professionals from financial institutions 13 % 16 %

Other professional stakeholders 11 % 14 %

Agricultural producers 9 % 4 %

Students / teachers 6 % 5 %

There were 120 participants at the 2011 event and about 100 in 2012. Attendees included crop advisors, researchers, profes- sionals from government and financial institutions, agricultural producers and students, as shown in the table at left.

Other presentations on agroclimatology and the impacts of climate change were also given at a variety of other events organized by CRAAQ or other organizations.

The relative degree of risk (number of risk days) is expressed as the difference between the number of days with temperatures less than or equal to -15º C and the number of days with at least 10 cm of snow cover. Adapted from Rochette and Dubé, 1993

Overwintering mortality risks for Quebec forage crops

CONSORTIUM ON R E G IONA L CL IMATOLOGY

A N D A DA P TAT I O N TO C L I M AT E C H A N G E