CHIP is a programme of co-ordinated experiments and mathematical modelling at sites across Europe that aims to establish the impact of future climatic change and associated stresses on potato growth, yield and quality.

Project Co-ordinator:

L. De Temmerman Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre Leuvensesteenweg 17 3080 Tervuren, Belgium

Project funded by:

Commission of the European Union Environment and Climate Research Programme Contract no: ENV4-CT970489

Background
Climate models predict that the European climate is likely to get warmer in the 21st century, with drier summers, wetter winters and more variable patterns of rainfall and temperature. The major cause of this climate change is the increasing concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The climate change will affect growth, development and yield of crops for human nutrition such as potato which is also used on a large scale in food industry. In spite of the importance of the crop, the effects of climate change on yield and quality (especially important for industrial use) are to a large extent unknown. The current growth models do not account for effects and possible interactions of simultaneous effects of physical (air temperature, rainfall,...) and chemical (concentrations of CO2, O3,...) climatic factors.

Moreover potato is highly sensitive to environmental stresses such as drought and ozone. The potential effects of ozone on visible injury, yield and quality in the field and in near field condition experimental designs are almost lacking.

General information on potato
History
Potato (Solanum tuberosum) originated in the highlands of South America, where it has been consumed for more than 8000 years. Spanish explorers brought the plant to Europe in the late 16th century as a botanical curiosity. By the 19th century it had spread throughout the continent, providing cheap and abundant food for the workers of the Industrial Revolution.

Nutrition
A single medium-sized potato contains about half the daily adult requirement of vitamin C. Other staples such as rice and wheat have none. Potato is very low in fat, with just 5 percent of the fat content of wheat, and one-fourth the calories of bread. Boiled, it has more protein than maize, and nearly twice the calcium.

Global Production
Today, potato is the fourth most important food crop in the world, with annual production approaching 300 million tons. More than one-third of the global potato output now comes from developing countries, up from just 11 percent in the early 1960s.

CHIP team at Florence symposium

Co-ordinator and project managers of CHIP:

Co-ordinator of CHIP:

Dr. L. De Temmerman

VAR, Tervuren, Belgium

	Project Managers and Participating Organisations:
1	Dr. L. De Temmerman Mrs K. Vandermeiren  Mrs A. Hacour	Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre, Tervuren, Belgium
2	Prof. Dr. h.c. H.-J. Jäger Prof. Dr A. Fangmeier  Mrs P. Högy	Institute for Plant Ecology, Justus-Liebig-University, Gieben, Germany
3	Mr. J. Craigon Dr. J. Colls Dr. C. Black Dr. A. Donnelly	Department of Physiology and Environmental Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
4	Prof. Dr. M. B. Jones (1) Dr. J. I. Burke (2) Dr. J. Finnan (2)	(1) University of Dublin Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland (2) TEAGASC, Agric. And Food Development Authority, Oak Park Research Center, Carlow, Ireland
5	Mrs K. Persson	Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Göteborg, Sweden
6	Dr. M. Bindi	Center for Computer Science in Agriculture, Firenze, Italy
7	Prof. Dr. J. Goudriaan Dr. J. Wolf	Wageningen University, Group Plant Production Systems   Dept. Plant SciencesWageningen, The Netherlands
8	Prof. G. Selldén Dr. H. Pleijel Dr. G. Wallin	Botanical Institute University of Göteborg, Göteborg, Sweden
9	Dr. K. Ojanperä Mrs V. Vorne	Agricultural Research Centre of Finland, Jokioinen, Finland

CD-rom with CHIP database: Available free of charge, contact : L. De Temmerman.

Download
Final report (January 1998-June 2000) (Word .doc, 29 M), (PDF file, 750 K)

Links
Community Research & Development Information Service
GCTE Potato Network
ICP (International Cooperative Programme on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation and Crops)
UN/ECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe)
Effects of Ozone Air Pollution on Plants
Air Quality-Plant Growth And Development Research Unit/USDA-ARS Air Quality Program
Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change /Effects of Atmospheric CO2 on Potato
Potato Research Online (PRO)
 
 

Ozone damage on potato leaves (Jokioinen)

OTC site at Tervuren

Open plot at Tervuren with weather station

FACE system at Giessen

OTC system (Jokioinen)

Some publications are already published and some are in press. The major part of the publications is submitted or is being submitted.
L. De Temmerman, A. Hacour, K. Vandermeiren, 2000. Changing Climate and Potential Impacts on Potato Yield and Quality "CHIP". In: Proceedings of the European Climate Science Conference, Vienna, October 1998. CD-rom publication. European Commission. Article n° 107.
Donnelly A, Craigon J, Black CR, Colls JJ, Landon G. 2001a. Elevated CO2 increases biomass and tuber yield in potato even at high ozone concentrations, New Phytologist, 149 (in press)
Donnelly A, Craigon J, Black CR, Colls JJ, Landon G. 2001b. Does elevated CO2 ameliorate the impact of O3 on chlorophyll content and photosynthesis in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)? Physiologia Plantarum (in press).
Finnan J. M., Donnelly A., Burke J.J., Jones M.B., 2000.The effects of elevated concentrations of CO2 and O3 on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) yield. Global Change Biology (submitted).
Lawson T, Craigon J, Black CR, Colls JJ, Tulloch A-M, Landon G. 2000. Effects of elevated carbon dioxide and ozone on the growth and yield of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) grown in open-top chambers. Environmental Pollution ,Vol 111, Iss 3, pp 479-491
Wolf J. and van Oijen M., Effects of changes in climate and atmospheric CO2 and O3 on tuber yield and yield variability of rain fed potato in the European Union. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology (submitted).
L. De Temmerman, A. Hacour, M. Guns 2001. Changing Climate and Potential impacts on Potato Yield and Quality (CHIP): introduction, aims and methodology. Eur. J. Agron., 12, (submitted)
L. De Temmerman, J. Wolf, J. Colls, M. Bindi, A. Fangmeier, J. Finnan, K. Ojanperä, H. Pleijel 2001. Atmospheric and soil environments affecting potato (Solanum tuberosum) yield across Europe during the 'CHIP' experiments. Eur. J. Agron., 12, (submitted)
A.Hacour, K. Öjanpera, H. Pleijel, H. Danielsson, P. Högy, J. Finnan, M. Bindi, J. Craigon 2001. Phenological development, tuber initiation and leaf area index of potatoes across Europe in response to CO2 and ozone. Eur. J. Agron., 12, (submitted)
J. Craigon, A. Fangmeier, M. Jones, A. Donnelly, M. Bindi, L. De Temmerman, K. Persson, K. Ojanperä 2001. Growth and marketable-yield responses of potato to increasing CO2 and ozone. Eur. J. Agron., 12, (submitted)
L. De Temmerman, G. Selldén, G. Pihl-Karlsson, A. Donnelly, K. Ojanperä, H.-J. Jäger, J.Finnan 2001. Visible ozone injury on potato and the interaction with increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in ambient air. Eur. J. Agron., 12, (submitted)
H. Pleijel, H. Danielsson, K. Vandermeiren, C. Blum, J. Colls, K. Öjanperä 2001. Stomatal conductance and ozone exposure in relation to potato tuber yield - results from the European CHIP programme. Eur. J. Agron., 12, (submitted)
M. Bindi, A. Hacour, K. Vandermeiren, J. Craigon, G. Selldén, P. Högy, J. Finnan, L. Fibbi 2001. Chlorophyll content of potatoes grown under elevated CO2 and/or ozone concentrations. Eur. J. Agron., 12, (in preparation)
K. Vandermeiren, C. Black, T. Lawson, A. Casanova, K. Ojanperä 2001. Photosynthetic responses of potatoes grown under elevated CO2 and/or ozone concentrations - results from the European CHIP-programme. Eur. J. Agron., 12, (submitted)
A. Fangmeier, L. de Temmerman, C. Black, K. Persson, V. Vorne 2001. Effects of elevated CO2 and/or ozone on nutrient content and uptake of potatoes. Eur. J. Agron., 12, (submitted)
V. Vorne, K. Ojanperä, L. De Temmerman, M. Bindi, P. Högy, M. Jones, T. Lawson, K. Persson. 2001. Effects of elevated carbon dioxide and ozone on potato tuber quality in the European multiple site experiment 'CHIP project'. Eur. J. Agron., 12, (submitted)
M. Bindi, A. Fangmeier 2001. Comparison of open air (FACE + OTC ambient air plots) to CO2 exposure. Eur. J. Agron., 12, (in preparation)
J. Wolf, M. van Oijen 2001. Effects of changes in climate and atmospheric CO2 and O3 on tuber yield potential of potato in the European Union. Eur. J. Agron., 12, (submitted)
Special Issue/CHIP in The European Journal of Agronomy: "Potential Impacts of increased CO2 and O3 on potato yield and quality in Europe"