Regional climate change mitigation with crops: context and assessment

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Climate Science
• Environmental Engineering

Background:

• Historical land surface modification for agriculture spans millennia.
• Geoengineering encompasses various climate manipulation strategies.
• Crop biogeoengineering involves altering crop reflectivity for climate benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To contextualize crop albedo biogeoengineering within broader climate manipulation efforts.
• To evaluate crop biogeoengineering against other geoengineering schemes.
• To assess its potential for temperature mitigation and impact on food security.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on land surface modification and geoengineering.
• Comparative analysis of crop biogeoengineering with other geoengineering techniques.
• Assessment of potential impacts on crop productivity and food security.

Main Results:

• Crop biogeoengineering has a small, regional impact on temperature mitigation.
• It can be a cost-effective addition to a portfolio of geoengineering solutions.
• Potential for positive impacts on crop productivity exists, but requires further study.

Conclusions:

• Crop albedo biogeoengineering is a viable, inexpensive geoengineering component.
• It does not negatively impact food security and may improve crop yields.
• Further laboratory and field research is necessary to understand underlying mechanisms.