A call to action for global research on the implications of waterlogging for wheat growth and yield

Abstract

Waterlogging affects millions of hectares traditionally used for food production every year. Despite this, existing literature and process-based frameworks enabling simulation of waterlogging are sparse. Here, we reveal a lack of field experiments that have enumerated effects of waterlogging on plant growth. We call for more research on waterlogging, particularly in controlled field conditions with quantified soil properties and continuous monitoring of soil moisture. We opine that future experiments should explicitly focus on the impact of waterlogging on phenology, root development, and water and nutrient uptake, including interactions with atmospheric CO2 concentration, temperature and other biotic/abiotic stresses. Such experimental data could then be used to develop waterlogging algorithms for crop models. Greater understanding of how waterlogging impacts on plant physiology will be conducive to more robust projections of how climate change will impact on global food security.