Analysis of changing climate impact on timothy productivity in two contrasting geographical locations

摘要

The aims of this study were: (1) to assess the trends of climatic variables in two contrasting geographical locations: central Poland and northern Norway; and (2) to evaluate the influence of the detected trends on timothy yields. This grass species was selected for its high importance for forage production in Norway as well as in Poland. For the assessment of climate trends, historical meteorological data, which cover time series from 1985 onwards, were used. Trends of various climate condition indicators were investigated. Data on timothy yields were collected beginning in the 1990s for Brody in Poland from cultivar testing experiments and Holt in Norway by the national cultivar-testing program. The results indicated that in central Poland air temperature in specific months significantly decrease the annual yield of timothy while in northern Norway many climatic variables, such as earlier start and prolonged length of growing season, may have a slightly positive impact on timothy productivity.