Changes in yield variability of major crops for 1981–2010 explained by climate change
While changes in temperature and precipitation extremes are evident, their influence on crop yield variability remains unclear. Here we present a global analysis detecting yield variability change and attributing it to recent climate change using spatially-explicit global data sets of historical yie...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/3/034003 |
| _version_ | 1797748638044127232 |
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| author | Toshichika Iizumi Navin Ramankutty |
| author_facet | Toshichika Iizumi Navin Ramankutty |
| author_sort | Toshichika Iizumi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While changes in temperature and precipitation extremes are evident, their influence on crop yield variability remains unclear. Here we present a global analysis detecting yield variability change and attributing it to recent climate change using spatially-explicit global data sets of historical yields and an agro-climatic index based on daily weather data. The agro-climatic index used here is the sum of effective global radiation intercepted by the crop canopy during the yield formation stage that includes thresholds for extreme temperatures and extreme soil moisture deficit. Results show that year-to-year variations in yields of maize, soybean, rice and wheat in 1981–2010 significantly decreased in 19%–33% of the global harvested area with varying extent of area by crop. However, in 9%–22% of harvested area, significant increase in yield variability was detected. Major crop-producing regions with increased yield variability include maize and soybean in Argentina and Northeast China, rice in Indonesia and Southern China, and wheat in Australia, France and Ukraine. Examples of relatively food-insecure regions with increased yield variability are maize in Kenya and Tanzania and rice in Bangladesh and Myanmar. On a global scale, over 21% of the yield variability change could be explained by the change in variability of the agro-climatic index. More specifically, the change in variability of temperatures exceeding the optimal range for yield formation was more important in explaining the yield variability change than other abiotic stresses, such as temperature below the optimal range for yield formation and soil water deficit. Our findings show that while a decrease in yield variability is the main trend worldwide across crops, yields in some regions of the world have become more unstable, suggesting the need for long-term global yield monitoring and a better understanding of the contributions of technology, management, policy and climate to ongoing yield variability change. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:07:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-861f84366fee4ca78edb25242d6a1d69 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:07:40Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-861f84366fee4ca78edb25242d6a1d692023-08-09T14:17:35ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262016-01-0111303400310.1088/1748-9326/11/3/034003Changes in yield variability of major crops for 1981–2010 explained by climate changeToshichika Iizumi0Navin Ramankutty1National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, 3-1-3 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8604, JapanLiu Institute for Global Issues and Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability, University of British Columbia , 6476 NW Marine Drive, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z2, CanadaWhile changes in temperature and precipitation extremes are evident, their influence on crop yield variability remains unclear. Here we present a global analysis detecting yield variability change and attributing it to recent climate change using spatially-explicit global data sets of historical yields and an agro-climatic index based on daily weather data. The agro-climatic index used here is the sum of effective global radiation intercepted by the crop canopy during the yield formation stage that includes thresholds for extreme temperatures and extreme soil moisture deficit. Results show that year-to-year variations in yields of maize, soybean, rice and wheat in 1981–2010 significantly decreased in 19%–33% of the global harvested area with varying extent of area by crop. However, in 9%–22% of harvested area, significant increase in yield variability was detected. Major crop-producing regions with increased yield variability include maize and soybean in Argentina and Northeast China, rice in Indonesia and Southern China, and wheat in Australia, France and Ukraine. Examples of relatively food-insecure regions with increased yield variability are maize in Kenya and Tanzania and rice in Bangladesh and Myanmar. On a global scale, over 21% of the yield variability change could be explained by the change in variability of the agro-climatic index. More specifically, the change in variability of temperatures exceeding the optimal range for yield formation was more important in explaining the yield variability change than other abiotic stresses, such as temperature below the optimal range for yield formation and soil water deficit. Our findings show that while a decrease in yield variability is the main trend worldwide across crops, yields in some regions of the world have become more unstable, suggesting the need for long-term global yield monitoring and a better understanding of the contributions of technology, management, policy and climate to ongoing yield variability change.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/3/034003climate changeagricultureyield variabilitydetection and attributionclimate extreme |
| spellingShingle | Toshichika Iizumi Navin Ramankutty Changes in yield variability of major crops for 1981–2010 explained by climate change Environmental Research Letters climate change agriculture yield variability detection and attribution climate extreme |
| title | Changes in yield variability of major crops for 1981–2010 explained by climate change |
| title_full | Changes in yield variability of major crops for 1981–2010 explained by climate change |
| title_fullStr | Changes in yield variability of major crops for 1981–2010 explained by climate change |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in yield variability of major crops for 1981–2010 explained by climate change |
| title_short | Changes in yield variability of major crops for 1981–2010 explained by climate change |
| title_sort | changes in yield variability of major crops for 1981 2010 explained by climate change |
| topic | climate change agriculture yield variability detection and attribution climate extreme |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/3/034003 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT toshichikaiizumi changesinyieldvariabilityofmajorcropsfor19812010explainedbyclimatechange AT navinramankutty changesinyieldvariabilityofmajorcropsfor19812010explainedbyclimatechange |