With appropriate adjustments in farming practices, maize yields may increase even under climate change, a study suggests. Few studies of climate change impacts on crop yields have accounted for the adaptation of farming practices to a changing climate. François Tardieu and colleagues examined whether current methods of adaptation to the local environment could mitigate the impact of climate change on European maize yields. In field experiments and simulations covering a variety of environmental conditions, maize yield varied with sowing-to-flowering time, and an optimum flowering time could be identified for each set of conditions. Based on the results, the authors selected optimal crop cycle durations and sowing dates for various climates that closely matched historical records, suggesting that the selection rules accurately captured actual farming practices. The authors simulated yields under climate conditions projected for the year 2050 in the presence and absence of crop cycle adaptation. Simulated yields were similar to the present day assuming no change in crop cycle duration. When crop cycle duration was optimized for the future climate, yields were 4-7% greater in 2050 than at present. The results suggest that proper adaptation of farming practices might offset the effects of climate warming on maize yields, according to the authors.
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Article #17-20716: "Maize yields over Europe may increase in spite of climate change, with an appropriate use of the genetic variability of flowering time," by Boris Parent et al .
MEDIA CONTACT: Francois Tardieu, INRA, Montpellier, FRANCE; tel: +33-4-99-61-26-32; e-mail: francois.tardieu@inra.fr
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences