Extreme stress threatened double rice production in Southern China during 1981–2010

• Published in: Theoretical and applied climatology Vol. 137; no. 3-4; pp. 1987 - 1996
• Main Authors: Liu, Sheng-Li, Wang, Xing, Ma, Shou-Tian, Zhao, Xin, Chen, Fu, Xiao, Xiao-Ping, Lal, Rattan, Zhang, Hai-Lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.08.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Atmospheric Sciences; Case studies; Cereal crops; China; Climate change; Climate science; Climatology; cold stress; Crop production; Crop yield; Cropping systems; developmental stages; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Extreme weather; Global warming; Grain industry; grain yield; High temperature; Low temperature; Original Paper; Oryza sativa; Production data; Production management; Rice; Rice fields; Rice yield; Rivers; Stability; Stresses; Vapor pressure; Vapour pressure; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water temperature; Weather; Weather effects; Yangtze River; China; Yangtze River
• ISSN: 0177-798X; 1434-4483
• DOI: 10.1007/s00704-018-2719-7

Global warming has increased the frequency of extreme weather, resulting in severe losses in crop production. Double rice ( Oryza sativa L.) cropping system, a system where two seasons of rice are grown per year, is thus facing challenges in maintaining its yield stability throughout Southern China. Therefore, the current study was focused on the multiple stresses induced by climate change, yield anomaly, and losses for the double rice were then examined across different growth stages. Results showed the increase in both high-temperature and water-related stresses during the past three decades, while the low temperature stress for the late rice was not severe. However, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLRYZ) were subject to less severe stresses compared with that of the South China (SC). Yield anomaly varied among subregions for both early rice and late rice. A case study in Hunan province showed that extreme stresses threatened the yield of double rice system, and vapor pressure deficits changed yield by − 6.66% for the early rice and − 1.82% for the late rice. Thus, climate-smart practices are needed for the double rice cropping system in Southern China to mitigate the effects of extreme weather and stabilize double rice yield.