Climate risk zoning for gladiolus production under three climate change scenarios

The objective of this study was to develop a climate risk zoning for damage to gladiolus due to low and high temperature under climate change scenarios projected by the end of the century in the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The PhenoGlad model was used in this study to determine the recommended periods for planting gladiolus throughout the year across the Rio Grande do Sul State. The model was run for daily planting dates (from 01 January to 31 December), for different gladiolus developmental cycles (Early, Intermediate I, Intermediate II and Late). The climate change scenarios were from CMIP5: RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, representing optimistic, intermediate and pessimistic scenarios of greenhouse gases emission, respectively. Planting dates were considered recommended when crop damage, due to high or low temperatures, occurred in less than 10% of the years. Warmer regions like Uruguaiana and Ira? have the shortest recommended time for planting throughout the year in the three climate change scenarios. Plantings between August and December are predicted to be the most affected and are not recommended because of the higher chance of damage from high temperatures. Colder regions like Bom Jesus will be favored in climate change scenarios since there will be an extended recommended period for planting in the seasons of the year that currently suffer damage by low temperatures. To meet demands of gladiolus during the hottest period of the year, it will be necessary to develop techniques to reduce damage from high temperatures in the crop, such as more tolerant cultivars or the use of shading screens on the crop.