Dec 06 2023 60 mins
Professor Reimund P. Rötter (University of Göttingen) is a distinguished researcher with over 25 years of expertise in agronomy, agricultural systems modeling, and agroecology across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Professor Rötter's work focuses on developing and identifying solutions to the complex challenges presented to humanity such as global food security, increasing resource scarcity and the environmental effects of agricultural production under current changing climate.
He has done substantial work on his research area and namely some of his mainly impactful contributions include research on genetic yield gaps, modeling the multi-functionality of landscapes, assessing agricultural impacts and adaptations to climate change, and, last but not least, reduction of global wheat production under rising temperatures. This also makes him a perfect fit into today's episode on discussing "Crop modelling and its impact on addressing Climate Change"
00:00 - Introduction
01:29 - What is a model / Common misconception about modeling
03:19 - No modeling without experimentation, no experimentation without modeling
09:10 - Data quality and modeling (rubbish in = rubbish out)
13:15 - How to generate a reliable model
15:35 - Thoughts on why models failed to predict Covid19 cases
19:46 - GHG emission scenarios and human behavior
22:22 - "Why" and "How" (crop) modeling is essential in addressing Climate Change / Future crop production trends / Limitations of Global Climate models
30:50 - Adaptation options / Plant breeding / Response diversity
46:05 - How AI is transforming (crop) modeling and agriculture
47:49 - "ChatGPT can become our individual agent…even for modeling..." / Digitalization, AI, and the future of agriculture
55:11 - Why reform is needed in teaching programs in agricultural sciences / The power of collaboration
56:56 - Advice for young researchers