Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the capability of modifying the irrigation and nitrogen application rates as an adaptation to climate change, especially, increasing air temperature, using the Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM2). Field experiments were conducted in the winter wheat season of 2015-2016 and 2019-2020 at the Rasheed County, south of Baghdad, Iraq. The effect of increasing air temperature on the water use efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency, and grain yield of wheat was assessed under different irrigation deficits and nitrogen application rates. Three levels of water depletion: 30, 50, and 70 of available water and four N application rates (0, 140, 200, and 260 kg N ha−1) were applied for winter wheat. Two temperature scenarios in the RZWQM2 were created for the study purpose. The first scenario was to add 2Co to the normal temperature, and the second scenario was to add 4Co to the normal temperature. Results showed that high irrigation levels presented better results than the low levels under projected temperature scenarios. However, all applied nitrogen rates presented similar results under projected temperature (2Co and 4Co scenarios). Therefore, modifying irrigation requirements is a workable adaption strategy to the increased temperature.
Highlights
Agricultural systems are very sensitive to climate change since meteorological variables are directly affect the fundamental processes involved in crop growth and production (28,34)
The effect of increasing air temperature on the water use efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency, and grain yield of wheat was assessed under different irrigation deficits and nitrogen application rates
RZWQM model can help optimize the impacts of varied climatic conditions on crop evapotranspiration, grain yield, water use efficiency, and nitrogen use efficiency, as well as test the adaptation strategies to climate change
Summary
Agricultural systems are very sensitive to climate change since meteorological variables are directly affect the fundamental processes involved in crop growth and production (28 ,34). The impacts of climate variability on crop growth and development have been addressed in a wide variety of researches (1,17,36,37). In more than 50% of studies, the most negative impact on crop yields, with regards to climate change, is related to temperature increase (17). Crop yield experiences improvements in some regions, while in other regions it experiences reductions (17,18) This variation relates to many factors, such as precipitation and CO2. A negative impact on crop growth and yield will be noticed unless it is mitigated by a corresponding increase in precipitation and CO2 (10,19). Wheat production is facing diverse and complex impacts of global warming, precipitation, and increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration across the world (17,20,38). Agricultural system models can be used as a complementary tool to field management practices for conducting exploratory tests for certain crop management practices that may offer benefits for the adaptation to future climate changes (6,8,13)
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