IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v12y2022i4p533-d790113.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Soil Moisture Outweighs Climatic Factors in Critical Periods for Rainfed Cereal Yields: An Analysis in Spain

Author

Listed:
  • Jaime Gaona

    (Instituto de Investigación en Agrobiotecnología (CIALE), Universidad de Salamanca, 37185 Villamayor, Spain)

  • Pilar Benito-Verdugo

    (Instituto de Investigación en Agrobiotecnología (CIALE), Universidad de Salamanca, 37185 Villamayor, Spain)

  • José Martínez-Fernández

    (Instituto de Investigación en Agrobiotecnología (CIALE), Universidad de Salamanca, 37185 Villamayor, Spain)

  • Ángel González-Zamora

    (Instituto de Investigación en Agrobiotecnología (CIALE), Universidad de Salamanca, 37185 Villamayor, Spain)

  • Laura Almendra-Martín

    (Instituto de Investigación en Agrobiotecnología (CIALE), Universidad de Salamanca, 37185 Villamayor, Spain)

  • Carlos Miguel Herrero-Jiménez

    (Instituto de Investigación en Agrobiotecnología (CIALE), Universidad de Salamanca, 37185 Villamayor, Spain)

Abstract

Cereals are keystone crops for achieving food security and socioeconomic equilibrium, but rainfed cropland is highly sensitive to environmental anomalies that impact yields. The impact of soil moisture on cereal yield is particularly overlooked. This study evaluates the impact of root-zone soil moisture on yield compared to nine common climatic variables: maximum and minimum temperature, diurnal temperature range, growing degree days, accumulated rainfall, radiation, photothermal quotient, relative humidity of the air, and vapor pressure deficit. This study used the climatic database E-OBSv23 and the soil moisture databases ERA5-Land and LISFLOOD, focused on wheat and barley over the main cereal areas of Spain. Correlation analysis between annual yield and daily soil moisture and climatic data provided indicated the prevalence and concurrence of the impact factors on phenological stages of the Zadoks scale. Critical periods of impact on wheat and barley yields primarily concentrate during the growth and reproductive phases of spring. Soil moisture exceeds all other factors in magnitude and duration of influence, and our results suggest a complex interplay of factors during the critical spring period. This study highlights the preeminent role of soil moisture over climatic factors on the variability of rainfed cereal yields in water-limited areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Jaime Gaona & Pilar Benito-Verdugo & José Martínez-Fernández & Ángel González-Zamora & Laura Almendra-Martín & Carlos Miguel Herrero-Jiménez, 2022. "Soil Moisture Outweighs Climatic Factors in Critical Periods for Rainfed Cereal Yields: An Analysis in Spain," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-22, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:4:p:533-:d:790113
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/4/533/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/4/533/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Weiwei Deng & M. Cristina Casao & Penghao Wang & Kazuhiro Sato & Patrick M. Hayes & E. Jean Finnegan & Ben Trevaskis, 2015. "Direct links between the vernalization response and other key traits of cereal crops," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-8, May.
    2. Marijn Velde & Francesco Tubiello & Anton Vrieling & Fayçal Bouraoui, 2012. "Impacts of extreme weather on wheat and maize in France: evaluating regional crop simulations against observed data," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 113(3), pages 751-765, August.
    3. Ludwig, Fulco & Asseng, Senthold, 2010. "Potential benefits of early vigor and changes in phenology in wheat to adapt to warmer and drier climates," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(3), pages 127-136, March.
    4. Deepak K. Ray & James S. Gerber & Graham K. MacDonald & Paul C. West, 2015. "Climate variation explains a third of global crop yield variability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-9, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Pilar Benito-Verdugo & José Martínez-Fernández & Ángel González-Zamora & Laura Almendra-Martín & Jaime Gaona & Carlos Miguel Herrero-Jiménez, 2023. "Impact of Agricultural Drought on Barley and Wheat Yield: A Comparative Case Study of Spain and Germany," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-20, November.
    2. Gaona, Jaime & Benito-Verdugo, Pilar & Martínez-Fernández, José & González-Zamora, Ángel & Almendra-Martín, Laura & Herrero-Jiménez, Carlos Miguel, 2023. "Predictive value of soil moisture and concurrent variables in the multivariate modelling of cereal yields in water-limited environments," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Puyu Feng & Bin Wang & De Li Liu & Hongtao Xing & Fei Ji & Ian Macadam & Hongyan Ruan & Qiang Yu, 2018. "Impacts of rainfall extremes on wheat yield in semi-arid cropping systems in eastern Australia," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 147(3), pages 555-569, April.
    2. Cao, Juan & Zhang, Zhao & Tao, Fulu & Chen, Yi & Luo, Xiangzhong & Xie, Jun, 2023. "Forecasting global crop yields based on El Nino Southern Oscillation early signals," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    3. Jeetendra Prakash Aryal & Tek B. Sapkota & Ritika Khurana & Arun Khatri-Chhetri & Dil Bahadur Rahut & M. L. Jat, 2020. "Climate change and agriculture in South Asia: adaptation options in smallholder production systems," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 5045-5075, August.
    4. Rosa Carbonell-Bojollo & Oscar Veroz-Gonzalez & Rafaela Ordoñez-Fernandez & Manuel Moreno-Garcia & Gottlieb Basch & Amir Kassam & Miguel A. Repullo-Ruiberriz de Torres & Emilio J. Gonzalez-Sanchez, 2019. "The Effect of Conservation Agriculture and Environmental Factors on CO 2 Emissions in a Rainfed Crop Rotation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-19, July.
    5. De Li Liu & Garry J. O’Leary & Brendan Christy & Ian Macadam & Bin Wang & Muhuddin R. Anwar & Anna Weeks, 2017. "Effects of different climate downscaling methods on the assessment of climate change impacts on wheat cropping systems," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 144(4), pages 687-701, October.
    6. Senthold Asseng & David Pannell, 2013. "Adapting dryland agriculture to climate change: Farming implications and research and development needs in Western Australia," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 118(2), pages 167-181, May.
    7. Zhao, Xin & Calvin, Katherine & Patel, Pralit & Abigail, Snyder & Wise, Marshall & Waldhoff, Stephanie & Hejazi, Mohamad & Edmonds, James, 2021. "Impacts of interannual climate and biophysical variability on global agriculture markets," Conference papers 333245, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    8. Qiang Wang & Yuanfan Li & Rongrong Li, 2024. "Rethinking the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis across 214 countries: the impacts of 12 economic, institutional, technological, resource, and social factors," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-19, December.
    9. Linnenluecke, Martina K. & Smith, Tom & McKnight, Brent, 2016. "Environmental finance: A research agenda for interdisciplinary finance research," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 124-130.
    10. Janusz Prusiński & Radosław Nowicki, 2020. "Effect of planting density and row spacing on the yielding of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill)," Plant, Soil and Environment, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 66(12), pages 616-623.
    11. Mitter, Hermine & Schmid, Erwin, 2019. "Computing the economic value of climate information for water stress management exemplified by crop production in Austria," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 221(C), pages 430-448.
    12. A. Potgieter & H. Meinke & A. Doherty & V. Sadras & G. Hammer & S. Crimp & D. Rodriguez, 2013. "Spatial impact of projected changes in rainfall and temperature on wheat yields in Australia," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 163-179, March.
    13. Shahzad, Muhammad Faisal & Abdulai, Awudu, 2020. "Adaptation to extreme weather conditions and farm performance in rural Pakistan," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    14. Nicholas Apergis & Mehmet Pinar & Emre Unlu, 2024. "Does classification of green aid flows matter for environmental quality?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 66(1), pages 53-73, January.
    15. Kamini Yadav & Hatim M. E. Geli, 2021. "Prediction of Crop Yield for New Mexico Based on Climate and Remote Sensing Data for the 1920–2019 Period," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-27, December.
    16. Kukal, M.S. & Irmak, S., 2020. "Impact of irrigation on interannual variability in United States agricultural productivity," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    17. Ibrahim Sufiyan & J.I. Magaji & A.T.Ogah & K.D. Mohammed & K.K Geidam, 2020. "Effect Of Climatic Variables On Agricultural Productivity And Distribution In Plateau State Nigeria," Environment & Ecosystem Science (EES), Zibeline International Publishing, vol. 4(1), pages 5-9, February.
    18. Marmai, Nadin & Franco Villoria, Maria & Guerzoni, Marco, 2016. "How the Black Swan damages the harvest: statistical modelling of extreme events in weather and crop production in Africa, Asia, and Latin America," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis LEI & BRICK - Laboratory of Economics of Innovation "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio 201605, University of Turin.
    19. Wang, Teng & Yi, Fujin & Liu, Huilin & Wu, Ximing & Zhong, Funing, 2021. "Can Agricultural Mechanization Have a Mitigation Effect on China's Yield Variability?," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315098, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    20. Elisa Pasquali & Gianni Barcaccia, 2020. "Genomics Applied to the Analysis of Flowering Time, Abiotic Stress Tolerance and Disease Resistance: A Review of What We Have Learned in Lolium spp," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-21, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:4:p:533-:d:790113. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.