– Look! It is absolutely gigantic. Elling Mørk (6) picked almost five boxes of strawberries. Photo: Marita Andersen Elling Mørk (6) shows off one of her “dinosaur-sized” specimens. He is picking strawberries at Nordvoll organic farm with his friend Maja (8). For the eighth year in a row, Sandra Olsen Størdal has taken her daughter Maja to Nordvoll farm to pick strawberries for both jam and eating along the way. Sara Olsen Størdal with daughter Maja (8) and friend Elling Mørk at the strawberry farm Nordvoll organic farm. Photo: Marita Andersen / news – Mum says that strawberries are almost nature’s candy, and I actually agree with that, says Maja Olsen Størdal. Heading for three record summers in a row As of 5 August, Tromsø has 24 summer days and can head for the third year in a row with a record summer, says meteorologist Sigrid Auganæs. Last year, the city had 27 summer days, which then beat the old record from 1913 and 1960 by one day. Telegraph Bay on a summer day in July. Photo: Rune Stoltz Bertinussen / NTB The warm weather is due to both climate change and a fortunate high pressure in the north which has pushed the low pressure south for a longer period. Meteorologist Sigird Auganæs says that there may be more record summers ahead. Photo: Aurora Ytreberg Meløe / news – You shouldn’t ignore it, really. But it very much depends on where high pressure and low pressure are located, says Auganæs Tidenes season The fine summer weather has had positive consequences for farmers in the north. This summer has been a particularly good season for strawberry farmer Roger Lockertsen at Nordvoll farm. Roger Lockertsen, Nordvoll ecological farm Photo: Sveinung Åsali / news For the second year in a row, the midnight sun, warm temperature and little, but enough rain, have produced abundant strawberry crops. – It has been a long time since we have had such good conditions, and the strawberries are of very high quality, says Lockertsen. Facts about strawberries Strawberries are a plant genus in the rose family with fruits that are edible. The fruit, the strawberry, is an auxiliary fruit with small nuts. There are approximately 17 species in the strawberry genus. Two species occur naturally in Norway, field strawberries and neck berries. Strawberries contain more vitamin C than oranges. They contain little fat, but are rich in fiber. The berries are a source of folate which helps keep us alert and awake, plus they contain antioxidants. The berry can also prevent blood sugar from rising and lower high blood pressure. Strawberries were used in folk medicine as a remedy for frostbite, and are mentioned in older medical books as an internal remedy for stone pain. In Norway, many types of strawberries are grown. The most common are Korona, Favori, Sonata, Florence, Polka, Frida, Senga Sengana, Zefyr, Honeoye, Rumba, Saga, Malwina and Nobel. On one of the largest strawberry farms in the north, Kalle Mathisen and his wife Julie Skjelstad run a farm on Grytøya. Like Nordvoll farm, they have had an exceptionally good season, which also started two weeks earlier than normal. – We picked strawberries from the beginning of July, against normally around 15 – 20 July, says Kalle Mathisen. He hopes to produce 12 tonnes of strawberries before the season is over, and has already picked over five tonnes. At Skjelstad farm, plants use the berries in tunnels, and the berries hang in the air. On hot summer days, it is important to have enough water so that the berries do not dry out. Photo: Kalle Mathisen / Privat Wetter and warmer Climate change has changed the climate in the north, figures from the Meteorological Institute show. – It will be wetter and warmer in Northern Norway. Reidun Gangstø is a climate researcher at the Meteorological Institute. Mostly, climate change will have negative effects on agriculture, she says. Photo: Vilde Ottersen Jagland This is what Reidun Gangstø, climate researcher at the Meteorological Institute, writes in an email to news. This is how the climate has changed in Northern Norway: The Meteorological Institute has compared the normal periods from 1991-2020 and 1961 and 1990, and finds that the climate in Northern Norway has changed a lot. Annual precipitation has increased by 7.6%. Summer rainfall has increased by 3.2%. The annual mean temperature has increased by about 1 degree. The average summer temperature by about 0.6 degrees. The figures are for the average of the entire region of Northern Norway, which includes Nordland, Troms and Finnmark. Annual precipitation: The sum of precipitation in millimeters that has been measured throughout the year. Summer precipitation: The sum of precipitation in millimeters that has been measured in the summer months of June, July and August. Annual mean temperature: Average of the temperature throughout the year. Summer mean temperature: Average of the temperature in June, July and August. – The positive thing for crops is that the growing season will be longer, but it is important to point out that there will be many more negative consequences of climate change than positive ones for agriculture, writes Gangstø. With warmer weather, it will be possible to grow new and more heat-loving species, the growing season can be extended and new areas for growing can come. The negative consequences are many and concern more heavy rainfall, warmer weather and an earlier growing season. – In order to take advantage of the positives, it is important to both do what you can to cut greenhouse gas emissions so that there are as few negative consequences as possible, and to adapt to the negative changes, writes Gangstø. How can climate change affect agriculture in the north? Climate change has an effect on agriculture in the north. More precipitation, frost, warmer weather, and unstable winters. When the growing season starts earlier, there may be an increased risk of frost during the growing season. Not because there will be more frost, because there will generally be less frost, but because the frost nights can come after the growing season has begun. An increase in heavy rainfall can damage crops and harvest time. More precipitation can and does pose a risk of landslides, mudslides and floods. Frost that damages the remains during the growing season can also become a problem. Higher temperatures lead to increased occurrences of weeds, fungi and harmful organisms. There may be more unstable winters and less snow cover, which provides poorer protection against frost, and frequent freezing and thawing periods which cause more stress to the plants. Earlier snowmelt also increases the risk of spring drought. Higher temperatures lead to increased occurrences of weeds, fungi and harmful organisms. Warmer autumns, when light radiation is low in northern Norway, also change the interaction between light and temperature. It can reduce the hardening process and give a poorer wintering and reduced frost tolerance. Increased autumn rainfall can also reduce the curing process and lead to more difficult harvesting conditions and an increased risk of soil compaction. Otherwise, the increased temperature can lead to more evaporation and thus a possible increased risk of drought in the summer, particularly in areas with poor rainfall. Source: climate researcher Reidun Gangstø, at the Meteorological Institute. Published 06.08.2024, at 05.06
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Record summers in the north produce earlier crops – news Troms and Finnmark
