Greater sensitivity to drought accompanies maize yield increase in the U.S. Midwest.

Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 0404511 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1095-9203 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00368075 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Science Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: : Washington, DC : American Association for the Advancement of Science
Original Publication: New York, N.Y. : [s.n.] 1880-

Acclimatization* ; Adaptation, Physiological* ; Droughts* ; Stress, Physiological*; Crops, Agricultural/*growth & development ; Zea mays/*growth & development; Climate Change ; Glycine max/growth & development ; United States

A key question for climate change adaptation is whether existing cropping systems can become less sensitive to climate variations. We use a field-level data set on maize and soybean yields in the central United States for 1995 through 2012 to examine changes in drought sensitivity. Although yields have increased in absolute value under all levels of stress for both crops, the sensitivity of maize yields to drought stress associated with high vapor pressure deficits has increased. The greater sensitivity has occurred despite cultivar improvements and increased carbon dioxide and reflects the agronomic trend toward higher sowing densities. The results suggest that agronomic changes tend to translate improved drought tolerance of plants to higher average yields but not to decreasing drought sensitivity of yields at the field scale.

Comment in: Science. 2014 May 2;344(6183):484-5. (PMID: 24786071)

Date Created: 20140503 Date Completed: 20140623 Latest Revision: 20231213

20240628

10.1126/science.1251423

24786079