The Hidden Impact of Floods on Agriculture and Global Health – Global Issues
Rarely in the headlines are the devastating impacts of record-breaking hurricanes and floods on economically important commodity crops, and horticultural and agricultural crops critical to meeting nutritional security needs.
Similarly, less in the headlines have been the devastating effects of floods on soil, soil biology and soil health and on micro and macro-soil habitats.
The lack of information about the impact of floods on non-humans must change.
Shockingly, recent research investigating the impact of flooding on soil has revealed that flooding negatively affects soil biology, productivity and plant communities.
These include earthworms, insect larvae, springtails, and beneficial soil microbe communities that perform important functions, including breaking down plant residues, recycling nutrients, and improving plant growth activities.
In addition, floods may lead to soil contamination with heavy metals including copper, iron, zinc, cadmium which also alters soil fungal and microbial communities.
Rapid declines in soil oxygen levels during floods cause changes in soil biology and microbial communities that are important for maintaining soil health.
The rapid decline in oxygen levels leads to dramatic changes in soil properties, chemical and biological including soil pH and nutrient concentration.
Additionally, flooding results in increased concentrations of compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, sulfur, manganese, and iron that are toxic and harmful to native microbial communities.
Flooding research done in my lab at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign on corn and tomatoes, as well as research done by other scientists, has shown that flooding is dangerous, and can cause 100 percent crop and production loss.
Our research at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign is not just about understanding the impacts of flooding. It’s about finding solutions.
In particular, in my lab we investigate molecular, biological, biochemical, and developmental changes in tomato and corn varieties.
We also examine how flooding affects plants’ ability to defend themselves against leaf-chewing insects. Finally, we examine the effects of flooding on soil microbial communities.
Significantly and worryingly, our study revealed that flooding has a negative impact on the growth and development of both tomato and maize plants.
In maize, we found that different plant species respond differently, and that some of the wild species that are no longer cultivated can withstand flooding. In tomatoes, we found differences in gene expression, phytochemicals and growth and development in two varieties of heirloom tomatoes.
Eventually, the floodwaters recede, leaving a path of destruction and a fundamentally different habitat for non-humans including plants and soil inhabited by macro- and micro-organisms. So far, we know very little about how non-humans recover.
It is time to raise awareness and talk about the impact of floods on non-humans. It is time to extend flood research to answer many unanswered questions.
Once we understand the impact of flooding, we can develop strategies for water-resistant agricultural crops and accelerate progress in developing climate-resilient crops.
Esther Ngumbi, PhD is an Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, Department of African Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
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