WITH climate change poised to create havoc, plants may not be the first victims that spring to mind. But many are completely dependent on subtle aspects of the weather to survive, so changes in climate will be crucial.
Take reproduction. In order to flower at the right time, many plants must experience a period of cold to trigger a process called vernalisation. The word comes from the Latin vernus for “of the spring”. If it doesn’t get cold enough, flowering is much delayed or may not happen at all. What’s more, some of the plants that need to be vernalised are important food species such as sugar beet and wheat, which…
