Plants in climate change

Plants are also feeling the effects of climate change: food crops are increasingly affected by damage, especially as a result of drought and precipitation deficits. New "climate-smart" plant varieties that are better adapted to these changed conditions because they are tolerant to heat and drought are one of the research topics we are working on.

Rising temperatures also benefit plants that are native to warmer parts of the world but now find suitable conditions to survive here. By 2000, approximately 10 species of alien pests had become established on plants in Europe per decade. Climate warming favors the appearance of new weed species of subtropical origin in Austria. Thus, in recent years, we have increasingly observed the occurrence of new, often heat-loving weed species in agriculture, such as tiger grass or velvet poplar.

However, many already established heat-loving species that have so far only occurred in certain regions of Austria will also benefit. One example is the ragweed(Ambrosia artemisiifolia). Currently, its main distribution is restricted to the warm lowlands of eastern Austria. However, as a consequence of climate change, a rapid spread of the species to other parts of Austria is expected.

Alien animals are also among the beneficiaries of climate change: this also increases the risk of so-called quarantine pests becoming established in Europe. These are plants, animals and pathogens (bacteria, fungi or viruses) that cause major economic damage to plants. Invasive plants can, for example, displace native species and permanently change the structure and function of ecosystems.

A further increase is expected in the coming years due to climate change and globalized trade. These "bio-invasors" pose major challenges to agriculture in particular. With our pest monitoring, early warning services and research, we help to assess future risks to the production of important agricultural crops in Austria due to climate change and to find creative solutions to the new problems.

Weeds as winners of climate change

American pokeweed

The American pokeweed originally comes from North America. In favourable locations, it can form pure stands and displace native plants.

Goose grass

The heat-loving goose grass is currently only found here in isolated cases. However, it is expected to spread further as a result of climate change.

Bermuda grass

Bermuda grass is adapted to very warm conditions: At high temperatures, it grows exceptionally strongly and forms dense, carpet-like stands.

Common datura

The common datura is a summer annual, poisonous plant of the nightshade family. The plant has become an important weed in recent decades.

Ambrosia

The pollen of ragweed causes severe allergic reactions in sensitive people. Its late blooming period extends the pollen season into autumn

Mouse Barley

The mouse barley is a native wild barley that likes to colonize warm, dry ruderal meadows. Its awns are barbed and can get stuck in the fur, ears or eyes of animals.

Common milkweed

In Austria, the occurrences of the common milkweed have increased significantly since 2005 and a further spread is likely.

Tiger nut grass

The tiger nut grass benefits from warmer average temperatures, as it develops well at about 12-35 °C.

Velvet poplar

The heat-dependent plant originates from Asia, but is now also spreading in our region. It produces many seeds that are carried from field to field via harvesting machines or during soil cultivation.

Horse nettle

Horse nettle has many characteristics of an "ideal" weed: Many seeds, even from small pieces of roots form new plants. Climate changes benefit the horse nettle.

Aleppo Millet

Aleppo millet is one of the world's most important weeds. Due to warmer winters caused by climate change, it is also spreading in our country.

Rough-fruit amaranth

In its native country, the USA, rough-fruit amaranth is considered a "super weed". The species has not yet been found in Austria, but the plants have already been identified in northern Italy, Croatia and Slovakia.

Pests as winners of climate change

Wheat weevil

Although the wheat weevil is somewhat smaller than a grain kernel, it is one of the most important pests in grain stores: the small flightless weevil develops from an egg to an adult in a grain kernel.

Asian ladybug

Both the Asian ladybug and the native ladybug species benefit from warmer temperatures

Codling moth

Codling moth is one of the most important animal pests in apple production

Dried fruit moth

The dried fruit moth is probably the most important pest in the food processing industry worldwide.

Brown marmorated stink bug

In fall, the brown marmorated stink bugs look for their winter quarters on houses and in apartments, which is annoying, but harmless to humans.

Spotted wing drosophila

Cherry vinegar flies are important pests in orchards and vineyards because they infest many different fruits. Their numbers increase significantly from July onwards.

European corn borer

In Central Europe, the corn borer normally develops only one generation per year. In warm years, however, development proceeds more rapidly, so that the moths of a second generation hatch before the end of the summer.

Cotton boll owl

The cotton boll owl is a nocturnal butterfly. Especially in hot years, its caterpillars appear in late summer on lettuce, green beans, peppers, tomatoes, corn and various flowers.

Aphids as vectors of plant viruses

Aphids benefit from the changed climate: depending on the species, they can overwinter alive.

Beetroot Brewer

The turnip weevil is primarily known as a pest of sugar beets and benefits from low rainfall and high average temperatures in April through June.

Green peach aphid

The green peach aphid plays a major role as a vector of viruses in plums and sugar beets. The milder the winters, the more adult aphids survive.

Green rice bug

Originally distributed only in the Mediterranean region, the green rice bug is increasingly advancing northward due to climate warming.

Our research on plants and climate change adaptation

We conduct intensive research in the field of climate change adaptation in order to develop the right strategies for dealing with the changing climate. Our research projects deal with the effects of climate on agricultural crops and the spread of new weed species and pathogens.

In this way, our experts examine which plants are best suited to the new climate conditions in order to guarantee sustainable food security in the future. Together with national and international research institutions and breeding companies, strategies and methods have been developed to make new, better adapted crop varieties available.

Our researchers are also studying the effects of stress factors such as heat and drought on the most important crops in terms of area, such as cereals, protein crops and potatoes. In this way, they support the breeding of new varieties that are better adapted to future challenging growing conditions. However, climate change also threatens traditional and regionally important crops, such as the beetle bean, for which high crop losses were recorded in past heat summers. In research projects, our scientists have been able to develop molecular markers that optimise the breeding of heat-resistant varieties.

Not only can changing climatic conditions have a negative impact on crop yields, but new plant diseases such as the pea necrotic yellow dwarf virus (PNYDV) also threaten the harvest. This type of nanovirus, which is transmitted by aphids, has been known since 2009. However, a lot of epidemiological information is still missing to be able to react specifically to this new threat. Our experts are collecting important information and developing control strategies against the aphids that transmit the virus.

Climate change also benefits plants that have never existed in our country before and that can overgrow existing plants as weeds or appear as poisonous plants. This leads to high yield losses, health risks and high control costs. The change and development of these weed communities and the development of control measures are also part of our research.

We are in regular exchange and are part of EU-wide projects to ensure climate-friendly and sustainable management of agricultural soils. To this end, we conduct joint research throughout the EU and work on bundled topics, carry out research projects and implement the results together in order to be able to ensure food security in Austria in the future as well.

Last updated: 22.12.2023

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