Evaluating the Impacts of Waterlogging Disasters on Wheat and Maize Yields in the Middle and Lower Yangtze River Region, China, by an Agrometeorological Index

Abstract

Waterlogging disasters severely restrict crop production. The middle and lower Yangtze River region (MLYRR) is an important grain-producing region in China but suffers from severe waterlogging disasters. In this study, an agriculture-specific index called the accumulative humidity index was introduced to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of waterlogging during different wheat and maize growth stages in the MLYRR from 1960 to 2020. Additionally, the relationships between waterlogging intensities and crop yield fluctuations were revealed. The results showed that over the past 60 years, the intensity of wheat and maize waterlogging in the central and eastern MLYRR have increased; crop waterlogging was more intense in the 1990s–2010s than during the 1960s–1980s, and waterlogging intensity peaked in the 1990s. For both crops, waterlogging was more intense during the early growth stages, but its yield-reducing impacts were more significant during middle and late growth stages. The southern MLYRR (especially southern Anhui) was the region where both crops were most prone to waterlogging, but yields in this region were not severely affected by waterlogging. Compared with wheat, maize was more prone to waterlogging, and its yield was more significantly reduced by waterlogging. In conclusion, this study provides guidance for agricultural waterlogging risk reduction in the MLYRR.

Spatial Heterogeneity in the Response of Winter Wheat Yield to Meteorological Dryness/Wetness Variations in Henan Province, China

“…With the rapid development of urbanization and industrialization, a large amount of cultivated land has been occupied, so improving crop yield per unit area has proven to be an important approach to boost food production [6,7]. However, the weight of observational evidence indicates that unfavorable meteorological dryness/wetness events Agronomy 2024, 14, 817 2 of 15 during the crop growing season can lead to reduced crop yields and even threaten food security [8][9][10]. Therefore, analyzing the spatial heterogeneity of yield variability and its response to meteorological dryness/wetness conditions is of great importance in evaluating regional yield vulnerability and proposing adaptation strategies under global warming.…”