Global Synthesis of Drought Effects on Maize and Wheat Production

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 5; p. e0156362
• Main Authors: Daryanto, Stefani, Wang, Lixin, Jacinthe, Pierre-André
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 25.05.2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agriculture; Agriculture - methods; Analysis; Arid zones; Biology and Life Sciences; Cereals; Climate change; Confidence limits; Corn; Crop production; Crop science; Crop yield; Cultivation; Domestication; Drought; Drought effects; Droughts; Earth science; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Ecosystems; Environmental aspects; Environmental impact; Experiments; Field tests; Food security; Food Supply; Grain; Grain cultivation; Growth; Influence; Legumes; Loam soils; Mathematical analysis; Oryza; Physical Sciences; Physiology; Reduction; Research and Analysis Methods; Soil - chemistry; Soil properties; Soil texture; Stress, Physiological; Synthesis; Texture; Triticum - growth & development; United States; Wheat; Wheat yield; Zea mays - growth & development; United States; Indiana; United States > US; China; Indianapolis Indiana
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156362

Drought has been a major cause of agricultural disaster, yet how it affects the vulnerability of maize and wheat production in combination with several co-varying factors (i.e., phenological phases, agro-climatic regions, soil texture) remains unclear. Using a data synthesis approach, this study aims to better characterize the effects of those co-varying factors with drought and to provide critical information on minimizing yield loss. We collected data from peer-reviewed publications between 1980 and 2015 which examined maize and wheat yield responses to drought using field experiments. We performed unweighted analysis using the log response ratio to calculate the bootstrapped confidence limits of yield responses and calculated drought sensitivities with regards to those co-varying factors. Our results showed that yield reduction varied with species, with wheat having lower yield reduction (20.6%) compared to maize (39.3%) at approximately 40% water reduction. Maize was also more sensitive to drought than wheat, particularly during reproductive phase and equally sensitive in the dryland and non-dryland regions. While no yield difference was observed among regions or different soil texture, wheat cultivation in the dryland was more prone to yield loss than in the non-dryland region. Informed by these results, we discuss potential causes and possible approaches that may minimize drought impacts.