New varieties needed: Switzerland is getting too hot for these vegetables

Resistance is very important

The main challenge is to ensure that existing crops are adequately irrigated. Ten percent of water consumption in Switzerland currently goes to agriculture. “With climate change, this need will increase,” says Keizer. However, many farms today are not yet set up for irrigation; They only work with rainfall.

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The question also arises whether there will be enough water for all needs. Switzerland receives more rainfall than other European countries. It is not for nothing that Switzerland is considered the moated castle of Europe. But Keizer warns: “As the glaciers melt, rivers will carry less water in the summer and small rivers will dry up temporarily.”

Less potatoes, more soybeans

What can farmers do against the coming water shortage? According to Achim Walter (55), professor of plant science at ETH Zurich, one possibility lies in the selection and breeding of new varieties. “In the future we will need to pay attention to which crops are particularly heat and drought tolerant,” says Walter.

“There is still great potential in this area of ​​cultivation,” adds Keizer. Therefore, legumes such as corn, sunflowers and soybeans will become more common in Swiss agriculture in the future. Winegrowers can also look forward to warmer temperatures.

Pea varieties and sugar beets grown in cold weather are likely to have a difficult time. Potatoes, with their short roots, require heavy irrigation during droughts and are likely to displace other crops in the future.

New breeding methods are needed

Experts agree: The way crops and vegetables are grown also needs to change. “This requires a further shift to regenerative agriculture,” says Walter. This means more careful cultivation of the soil so that water is stored better and the soil remains more fertile. Therefore, the use of the plow will decrease.

Keizer recommends screening the ground year-round if possible. The ground is covered with plants or plant debris all year round. “Then the precipitation can penetrate the ground better,” he says.