• 2010 Maritime Soybean Variety Trials
• 2011 Forage Guide to Cultivar Selection for Nova Scotia
• 2011 Cereal Guide to Cultivar Selection in Nova Scotia
• 2011 Corn Guide to Hybrid Selection for Nova Scotia

Click here to view all our fact sheets.

• Climate Change and Nova Scotia Agriculture

Climate Change and Agriculture in Nova Scotia

Researchers predict that Canada will experience a more extreme change in climate as compared to our southern counterparts. Scientists expect Canada to undergo a rise in temperature accompanied by much more variable weather patterns. Because the environment is so sensitive to climate it is evident that global climate change will have significant impacts on our water resources, fisheries, forests, wild life, ecosystems, agriculture and therefore our economy.

Many sectors of the economy will be affected by climate change, few as dramatically as agriculture. Agriculture is a socially and economically significant industry to Nova Scotia due to its role in sustaining rural communities, providing food security and its role in contributing to our health and the protection of our environment. The agriculture and agrifood sector is an important source of income and employment for our province; it supplies approximately 3% of Nova Scotia’s GDP and is responsible for 11% of Nova Scotia’s employment.

Current data indicates that Atlantic Canada’s future climate will include a temperature rise of up to 4°C in the summer and 6°C in the winter by 2050. More frequent and extreme storms, rainfalls and floods are also expected. The greater variability in weather events will make forecasting less reliable, which greatly affects the ability of producers to manage weather impacts. The predicted 60cm rise in sea level in the next 100 years is a major concern for low lying and coastal regions and dykelands of our province. These changes in temperature and precipitation will challenge current production methods. It will be necessary to adapt to the changing climate in both crop and livestock management. Climate change adaptation means taking an action that minimizes or creates an opportunity from climate change impacts, such as, altering seeding dates, crop variety choices, pest and disease control, livestock care, water resource quality, soil health and more.

 Click here to read about mitigation and adaptive strategies for climate change