Drought Damage Research Articles

Comparison of Bayesian and frequentist quantile regressions in studying the trend of discharge changes in several hydrometric stations of the Gorganroud basin in Iran

Abstract This research utilized Bayesian and quantile regression techniques to analyze trends in discharge levels across various seasons for three stations in the Gorganroud basin of northern Iran. The study spanned a period of 50 years (1966–2016). Results indicate a decrease in high discharge rates during springtime for the Arazkouseh and Galikesh stations, with a steep slope of −0.31 m3/s per year for Arazkouseh and −0.19 and −0.17 for Galikesh. Furthermore, Tamar station experienced an increase in very high discharge during summer, with a slope of 0.12 m3/s per year. However, low discharge rates remained relatively unchanged. Arazkouseh station showed a higher rate of decreasing discharge levels and this trend was most prominent during spring. Additionally, the Bayesian quantile regression model proved to be more accurate and reliable than the frequency-oriented quantile regression model. These findings suggest that quantile regression models are a valuable tool for predicting and managing extremely high and low discharge changes, ultimately reducing the risk of flood and drought damage.

Effect Analysis of Hydrogen Peroxide Using Hyperspectral Reflectance in Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] under Drought Stress.

Due to global climate change, adverse environments like drought in agricultural production are occurring frequently, increasing the need for research to ensure stable crop production. This study was conducted to determine the effect of artificial hydrogen peroxide treatment on sorghum growth to induce stress resistance in drought conditions. Hyperspectral analysis was performed to rapidly find out the effects of drought and hydrogen peroxide treatment to estimate the physiological parameters of plants related to drought and calculate the vegetation indices through PLS analysis based on hyperspectral data. The partial least squares (PLS) analysis collected chlorophyll fluorescence variables, photosynthetic parameters, leaf water potential, and hyperspectral reflectance during the stem elongation and booting stage. To find out the effect of hydrogen peroxide treatment in sorghum plants grown under 90% and 60% of field capacity in greenhouses, growth and hyperspectral reflectance were measured on the 10th and 20th days after foliar application of H2O2 at 30 mM from 1st to 5th leaf stage. The PLS analysis shows that the maximum variable fluorescence of the dark-adapted leaves was the most predictable model with R2 = 0.76, and the estimation model suitability gradually increased with O (R2 = 0.51), J (R2 = 0.73), and P (R2 = 0.75) among OJIP parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence analysis. However, the estimation suitability of predictions for moisture-related traits, vapor pressure deficit (VPD, R2 = 0.18), and leaf water potential (R2 = 0.15) using hyperspectral data was low. The hyperspectral reflectance was 10% higher at 20 days after treatment (DAT) and 3% at 20 DAT than the non-treatment in the far red and infra-red light regions under drought conditions. Vogelmann red edge index (VOG REI) 1, chlorophyll index red edge (CIR), and red-edge normalized difference vegetation index (RE-NDVI) efficiently reflected moisture stress among the vegetation indices. Photochemical reflectance index (PRI) can be used as an indicator for early diagnosis of drought stress because hydrogen peroxide treatment showed higher values than untreated in the early stages of drought damage.

Applying sunflower oil to rapeseed plants reduces water loss.

Hydrophobic polymers are used as antitranspirants to block stomata and reduce water loss from plants and thus drought stress, although the use of current commercial products is limited because they are expensive. Plant oils may be much cheaper hydrophobic polymers if they have similar efficacy to commercial antitranspirant products. Two experiments with pot-grown rapeseed plants were conducted to compare sunflower oil with the commercially-available antitranspirant di-1-p-menthene (DPM) for efficacy in reducing water loss, and to test for a linear response to increasing oil concentration. Sunflower oil at the same concentration as DPM (0.5%) was similar in efficacy in reducing the rate of water loss, measured as both rate of weight loss of the plant and rate of stomatal conductance decline. There was a linear response to increasing concentrations of oil, as found in previous research with DPM on rapeseed, with a slower rate of water loss the greater the concentration. If other plant oils are equally or more effective in reducing water loss as sunflower oil, there may be potential for plant oils to be used as low-cost antitranspirants to reduce drought damage on large-scale commodity crops, and also by smallholder farmers in low-income countries using locally-produced plant oils. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of Drought Stress on SOD Activity and Pro Content in Different Parts of Soybean Leaves

Background: Drought is the main restricted agent for growth and development of soybean and the physiological characteristics of different parts of soybean leaves changed significantly. Methods: To explore the impacts of drought stress on the physiological characteristics of leaves in different parts of soybean, in this study, Williams 82 was used as the experimental material and drought stress was simulated by a watering nutrient solution containing 10% PEG-6000. Under different treatment time conditions, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and proline (Pro) content in different parts of soybean leaves were determined. Result: The results indicate that the SOD activity and Pro content in the upper and bottom leaves of soybean increased significantly under drought stress conditions and with the increase in drought stress time, the SOD activity in the upper and bottom leaves of soybean increased first and then declined and the content of Pro increased gradually. In general, soybean relief drought damage by increasing SOD activity and Pro content under drought stress. This study offered the theoretical foundation for exploring the mechanism of soybean drought resistance.

Modulation of growth and biochemical responses in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) through foliar application of some amino acids under drought conditions

As part of human nutrition, organic fertilizer decreases chemical fertilizers exposure and increases plant nutritional value, which is a major concern nowadays. This study highlights the current state of knowledge on the effect of drought stress and amino acid application to avert drought damage to two spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) varieties at the developmental and maturation stages. Two varieties of spinach, namely Desi and VRI-2019, were exposed to different amino acid treatments such as methionine (Meth), tyrosine (Tyr), phenylalanine (Phe), proline (Pro) and mixture at 250 mg/L at 50% (drought) and 100% (control). The results showed that drought stress deteriorated spinach's growth and yield attributes and hindered the nutrient uptake of essential nutrients. However, the amino acid application improved the quantity and quality composition of secondary metabolites (flavonoids and phenolics) and enhanced the growth (root length, fresh and dry weight, shoot length, fresh and dry weight), yield attributes (number of leaves, the weight of leaf, yield per plant and leaf area), nutrient uptake (calcium and potassium) and antioxidant machinery (catalase and peroxidase), which differed depending on the spinach varieties; therefore, the use of Desi variety should be recommended under drought-prone areas with the addition of mixed emulsion of amino acids or/and separate doses according to the amino acid availability.

Silicon alleviates drought damage by increasing antioxidant and photosynthetic performance in cowpea

AbstractWater deficits have been considered the most restrictive environmental constraint on agricultural production worldwide. The current study aimed to investigate the role of silicon nutrition (Si) in activating defence mechanisms against drought damage in cowpea cultivars. The experiments were carried out in a randomized block design in a 2 × 2 × 4 factorial scheme, corresponding to two cowpea cultivars (BRS Novaera and BRS Tumucumaque), two water regimes (control well‐irrigated and water deficit) and four Si levels (0, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mM). Plant growth and physiological and biochemical indicators were evaluated 28 days after drought imposition. Drought significantly reduced the photosynthetic pigments (Chl b and Chl total), gas exchanges (net photosynthesis, transpiration and stomatal conductance) and, consequently, all growth parameters of cowpea plants compared with well‐irrigated plants. However, Si at 2.0 mM activated critical responses in the BRS Novaera cultivar under drought, almost recovering plant performance and increasing drought tolerance. The beneficial Si‐induced effects were closely related to increased accumulation of Si, carbohydrates and free amino acids that likely promoted osmoregulation and were associated with an improved antioxidant system composed of proline and the activity of SOD, CAT and APX. These metabolic alterations were sufficient to enable enhanced net photosynthesis and plant growth. In conclusion, Si counteracts the deleterious effects of water deficit by efficiently inducing antioxidant defence and photosynthetic performance in Novaera plants. Si nutrition may constitute a potential strategy to cultivate cowpea plants in water‐scarce areas from arid and semiarid regions.

Promotive effects of endophytic rhizobacteria on tiller and root growth in creeping bentgrass during drought stress and post‐stress recovery involving regulation of hormone and sugar metabolism

AbstractStress‐induced accumulation of ethylene exacerbates drought damages in plants and suppressing stress induction of ethylene may promote plant tolerance to drought stress. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of endophytic bacteria (Paraburkholderia aspalathi) with 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase enzymes in suppressing ethylene production on plant tolerance to drought stress and post‐stress recovery and the underlying physiological mechanisms of P. aspalathi‐regulation in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.). A novel strain of P. aspalathi, "WSF23," with ACC deaminase activity was used to inoculate the roots of creeping bentgrass plants (cv. "Penncross") subjected to drought stress for 35 days and rewatered for 15 days (post‐stress recovery) in controlled‐environment growth chambers. Inoculation with WSF23 bacteria resulted in an increased number of tillers, tillering production rate, root viability, and root growth (quantified in length, surface area, volume, and dry weight) during drought stress or rewatering. Inoculation of plants with WSF23 bacteria increased cytokinin (CK) (c‐Zeatin and tZ‐riboside) and jasmonate (JA‐Ile) content and reduced ACC and abscisic acid (ABA) content in roots during drought or rewatering. Sugar accumulation in crowns was promoted by inoculation during drought stress. The differential changes in ACC, CK, ABA, and JA‐Ile and sugar accumulation due to the bacterial inoculation could contribute to ACC deamination bacteria‐improved drought tolerance and post‐stress recovery in terms of tiller production and root proliferation and elongation in creeping bentgrass.

Catchment‐scale skill assessment of seasonal precipitation forecasts across South Korea

AbstractClimate change is expected to make droughts more frequent and severe all over the world. South Korea is no exception and is already suffering from extreme droughts such as one that prolonged from 2013 to 2015 and caused nation‐wide damage. To mitigate drought damages, better management of existing water infrastructure is essential. A promising opportunity to improve operational decisions is to make use of seasonal weather forecasts that are provided by general circulation models and can be downscaled to the catchment scale. This study hence assesses the skill of seasonal forecasts over 20 catchments in South Korea, where the largest reservoirs are located. Datasets from four weather forecasting centres (ECMWF, UK Met Office, Météo France and DWD) have been evaluated over the period 2011–2020, and their skill quantified using the Continuous Ranked Probability Skill Score (CRPSS). We analyse how skill varies across the seasons and years, and if it can be linked to catchments characteristics. In doing so, we develop a methodology and a Python package to implement it, which is freely available for future applications to other regions. As for the study case, our results showed that among the four forecasting centres, ECMWF's forecasts were the most skilful in South Korea. In particular, seasonal forecasts outperform the climatology for 2 months of lead time and are more skilful during the wet season and in dry years. Linear bias correction is found to be useful to correct systematic seasonal biases, whereas we found no significant correlation between the catchment characteristics and forecast skill. We also investigated the possibility of anticipating dry years from seasonal forecasts and/or ENSO indices but found no significant link.

Seasonal changes in leaf water relations in regards to leaf drought tolerance in mature Cryptomeria japonica canopy trees

ABSTRACT Although seasonal differences in drought damage to Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) have been well studied, the mechanisms underlying these seasonal differences remain poorly understood. In this study, we measured seasonal changes in current-year shoot growth; leaf mass per area (LMA); water potential at turgor loss point (Ψtlp), predawn (Ψpre), and midday (Ψmid); osmotic potential (Ψs); maximum transpiration rates; and maximum stomatal conductance in a 43-year-old Japanese cedar stand, with particular focus on the relationship between the shoot growth period and seasonal variation in Ψtlp, and the turgor safety margin (Ψmid – Ψtlp) to identify the season in which these trees are most vulnerable to drought. Current-year shoot growth began in April, with high shoot growth continuing until August. Ψtlp varied significantly throughout the year and was particularly high during the shoot growth period. Increasing LMA and decreasing Ψs caused a reduction in Ψtlp from autumn to winter, and Ψmid dropped to approximately the level of Ψtlp during the summer due to high transpiration activity, and increased with decreasing transpiration rates during the winter. Thus, the turgor safety margin was smaller in the summer than in the winter. These results suggest that Japanese cedar is most vulnerable to drought in the summer due to high Ψtlp during the shoot growth period.

The Mechanism of Manganese Ferrite Nanomaterials Promoting Drought Resistance in Rice.

Strategies to reduce the risk of drought damage are urgently needed as intensified climate change threatens agricultural production. One potential strategy was using nanomaterials (NMs) to enhance plant resistance by regulating various physiological and biochemical processes. In the present study, 10 mg kg-1 manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) NMs had the optimal enhancement to elevate the levels of biomass, photosynthesis, nutrient elements, and polysaccharide in rice by 10.9-525.0%, respectively, under drought stress. The MnFe2O4 NMs were internalized by rice plants, which provided the possibility for rice to better cope with drought. Furthermore, as compared with drought control and equivalent ion control, the introduction of MnFe2O4 NMs into the roots significantly upregulated the drought-sensing gene CLE25 (29.4%) and the receptor gene NCED3 (59.9%). This activation stimulated downstream abscisic acid, proline, malondialdehyde, and wax biosynthesis by 23.3%, 38.9%, 7.2%, and 26.2%, respectively. In addition, 10 mg·kg-1 MnFe2O4 NMs significantly upregulated the relative expressions of OR1, AUX2, AUX3, PIN1a, and PIN2, and increased IAA content significantly, resulting in an enlarged root angle and a deeper and denser root to help the plant withstand drought stresses. The nutritional quality of rice grains was also improved. Our study provides crucial insight for developing nano-enabled strategies to improve crop productivity and resilience to climate change.

A spatiotemporal deconstruction-based approach for identifying flash drought expansion: Normalized Area-Time Accumulation curve

Though flash drought is an intrinsically three-dimensional phenomenon that evolves in both temporal and spatial dimensions, most studies have overlooked its spatiotemporal features by analyzing its characteristics at individual grid points. The rapid expansion of drought over time and space also brings great challenges for drought monitoring and management strategies. Focusing on the mapping of rapid development trajectories of drought in the three-dimensional space, this study proposes the Normalized Area-Time Accumulation (NATA) curve to describe the evolution characteristics of flash drought. Using the NATA curve, information about the expansion rate of drought area over time and the dominant severity of drought area can be extracted. On this basis, such drought events were classified and investigated, considering drought monitoring difficulty and potential drought damages. Results showed that the shape of proposed NATA curve and the slope of curves of varying severity levels had explicit indicative function for distinguishing drought events characterized by “flash” and “drought” events from traditional slowly-evolving drought events. Drought events which have a rapid rate of area expansion and high drought severity mostly meets the characteristics of flash droughts in the spatiotemporal dimensions. The findings highlight the significance of incorporating information on drought area expansion with time for an efficient recognition and improved accuracy of rapid drought development from a three-dimensional perspective. This is a step forward for flash drought identification in a higher dimension. The proposed NATA curve provides intuitive and comprehensive information on how drought evolves over time and space and is a promising alternative method to analyze drought characteristics from a three-dimensional perspective.

Photosynthesis of plants of shade-tolerant ecotype of Paubrasilia echinata are more tolerance to drought than the sun-tolerant ecotype

Frequent and prolonged droughts are predicted for the Northeast region of Brazil until the end of this century. How the sun-tolerant and shade-tolerant tree species of the tropical forests in this region of the planet will respond to this climate scenario is a matter of global interest. To clarify this issue, we used plants of the shade-tolerant ecotype and the sun-tolerant ecotype of Paubrasilia echinata as a biological model. One batch of each ecotype was subjected to water suspension (drought simulation) for 17 days followed by water restitution (rainfall simulation) for 36 days. In the initial, intermediate, and final time of drought (7, 12, and 17 days, respectively) and rain (5, 12, and 36 days, respectively), we analyzed the water potential (Ψwp), electrolyte leakage (EL), net assimilation of CO2 (A), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration (E), water use efficiency (A/E), the internal concentration of CO2 (Ci), instantaneous carboxylation efficiency (A/Ci), and fluorescence parameters of the chlorophyll a, among which are the photochemical performance indices (PIABS and PITOTAL). The photosynthetic activity and Ψwp of the shade-tolerant ecotype were more tolerance to the short dry period than the sun-tolerant one. Even so, the two ecotypes withstood water scarcity with 100% survival. The restitution of water, after a period of drought, allowed some of the gas exchange variables (E, A/E, and Ci), the Ψwp, and membrane damage (EL), from both ecotypes, to completely recover their values ​​to those at time zero, reaching the values of their respective controls. On the other hand, the variables most closely associated with CO2 assimilation (A, gs, and A/Ci) and ATP and NADPH production (PITotal and PIABS) did not fully recover from drought damage. We conclude that, if the droughts intensify in the northeast region of Brazil by the end of this century, the CO2 assimilation, and the photochemical efficiency of photosynthesis of the shade-tolerant species will possibly suffer greater impacts than the sun-tolerant ones. Predictably, this can affect the plant production of shade-tolerant species.

Proposing an ensemble machine learning based drought vulnerability index using M5P, dagging, random sub-space and rotation forest models

Drought is one of the major barriers to the socio-economic development of a region. To manage and reduce the impact of drought, drought vulnerability modelling is important. The use of an ensemble machine learning technique i.e. M5P, M5P -Dagging, M5P-Random SubSpace (RSS) and M5P-rotation forest (RTF) to assess the drought vulnerability maps (DVMs) for the state of Odisha in India was proposed for the first time. A total of 248 drought-prone villages (samples) and 53 drought vulnerability indicators (DVIs) under exposure (28), sensitivity (15) and adaptive capacity (10) were used to produce the DVMs. Out of the total samples, 70% were used for training the models and 30% were used for validating the models. Finally, the DVMs were authenticated by the area under curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristics, precision, mean-absolute-error, root-mean-square-error, K-index and Friedman and Wilcoxon rank test. Nearly 37.9% of the research region exhibited a very high to high vulnerability to drought. All the models had the capability to model the drought vulnerability. As per the Friedman and Wilcoxon rank test, significant differences occurred among the output of the ensemble models. The accuracy of the M5P base classifier improved after ensemble with RSS and RTF meta classifiers but reduced with Dagging. According to the validation statistics, M5P-RFT model achieved the highest accuracy in modelling the drought vulnerability with an AUC of 0.901. The prepared model would help planners and decision-makers to formulate strategies for reducing the damage of drought.

Physiological, biochemical and molecular responses associated with drought tolerance in grafted grapevine

BackgroundGrafting is one of the promising techniques for improving abiotic stress tolerance in horticultural crops, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms of drought on grafted grapevine are largely unexplored.ResultsHerein, we investigated the phenotypic, physiologic, biochemical, and drought related genes change of self-rooted 1103P (1103 Paulsen), SM (Shine Muscat) and grafted SM/1103P (SM shoot/1103P root) under drought stress condition. The results indicated that grafted grapevine effectively alleviated drought damage in grape leaves by higher RWC, water potential and free water content. Drought stress led to the alterations of chlorophyll, carotenoid, photosynthetic parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence in grapevine leaves after drought treatment indicated grafted plants improved the photosystem response to drought stress. Moreover, grafted plants under drought stress exhibited higher levels of abscisic acid (ABA), indoleacetic acid (IAA) and soluble protein, but less contents of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) both in leaves and roots. Drought stress also increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD and CAT) and activated the transcript expression of VvCu/ZnSOD, VvPOD4 and VvCAT1) in both leaves and roots. Further expression analysis by real-time PCR indicated that the expression levels of ABA-dependent and ABA-independent related genes could be activated in grafted grape after drought treatment.ConclusionsTaken together, our findings demonstrated that grafting onto 1103P enhanced tolerance against drought stress in grape by improving water content, photosynthesis and antioxidant defense capacity, which provided a valuable information for understanding the mechanisms of drought tolerance regulated by grafting plants.

Potential of Sentinel-1 SAR to Assess Damage in Drought-Affected Temperate Deciduous Broadleaf Forests

Understanding forest decline under drought pressure is receiving research attention due to the increasing frequency of large-scale heat waves and massive tree mortality events. However, since assessing mortality on the ground is challenging and costly, this study explores the capability of satellite-borne Copernicus Sentinel-1 (S-1) C-band radar data for monitoring drought-induced tree canopy damage. As droughts cause water deficits in trees and eventually lead to early foliage loss, the S-1 radiometric signal and polarimetric indices are tested regarding their sensitivities to these effects, exemplified in a deciduous broadleaf forest. Due to the scattered nature of mortality in the study site, we employed a temporal-only time series filtering scheme that provides very high spatial resolution (10 m ×10 m) for measuring at the scale of single trees. Finally, the anomaly between heavily damaged and non-damaged tree canopy samples (n = 146 per class) was used to quantify the level of damage. With a maximum anomaly of −0.50 dB ± 1.38 for S-1 Span (VV+VH), a significant decline in hydrostructural scattering (moisture and geometry of scatterers as seen by SAR) was found in the second year after drought onset. By contrast, S-1 polarimetric indices (cross-ratio, RVI, Hα) showed limited capability in detecting drought effects. From our time series evaluation, we infer that damaged canopies exhibit both lower leaf-on and leaf-off backscatters compared to unaffected canopies. We further introduce an NDVI/Span hysteresis showing a lagged signal anomaly of Span behind NDVI (by ca. one year). This time-lagged correlation implies that SAR is able to add complementary information to optical remote sensing data for detecting drought damage due to its sensitivity to physiological and hydraulic tree canopy damage. Our study lays out the promising potential of SAR remote sensing information for drought impact assessment in deciduous broadleaf forests.

The Effect of Wool Mulch on Plant Development in the Context of the Physical and Biological Conditions in Soil.

Mulching techniques can comprise a solution that better utilizes precipitation and irrigation water in such a manner that mitigates soil degradation and drought damage; however, there are still gaps in the literature with regard to the effect of the use of mulch materials on the development of plant-soil-microbe interactions. Waste fibers, as alternative biodegradable mulch materials, are becoming increasingly prominent. The effect of wool mulch (WM) on water use efficiency, with regard to pepper seedlings, was investigated in different soil types (sand, clay loam, peat) in a pot experiment. Two semi-field experiments were also set up to investigate the effect of WM-plant interactions on sweet pepper yields, as compared with agro textiles and straw mulches. Soil parameters (moisture, temperature, DHA, β-glucosidase enzymes, permanganate-oxidizable carbon) were measured during the growing season. The effect of WM on yield and biomass was more significant with the less frequent irrigation and the greater water-holding capacity of soils. Microbiological activity was significantly higher in the presence of plants, and because of the water retention of WM, the metabolic products of roots and the more balanced soil temperature were caused by plants. In the sandy soil, the straw mulch had a significantly better effect on microbiological parameters and yields than the agro textiles and WM. In soils with a higher water capacity, WM is a sustainable practice for improving the biological parameters and water use efficiency of soil. The effect of WM on yields cannot solely be explained by the water retention of the mulch; indeed, the development of biological activity and plant-soil-microbe interactions in the soil are also contributing factors.

Assessment of Agricultural Drought Vulnerability with Focus on Upland Fields and Identification of Primary Management Areas

Robust water management systems are crucial for sustainable water use, particularly considering rapidly changing, ever-improving water supply system technologies. However, the establishment of specific management standards in upland fields is challenging, as several types of crops are cultivated in upland fields. Hence, the timing and required amount of water vary greatly, further rendering drought response challenging. In this study, we evaluated the agricultural drought vulnerability of South Korean upland fields, considering the lack of water resources, to establish preliminary drought damage prevention measures. The Technique for Order of Preference method was used for the drought vulnerability assessment, and the assessment indicators used were annual rainfall, number of dry days, upland field area, available soil water capacity, and groundwater usage. The 20 areas of highest vulnerability comprised large cultivation areas with minimal subsurface-water usage, except for areas where the number of dry days appeared to be the major factor for drought vulnerability. Damage caused by recurring droughts accumulated over time; thus, upland-field-oriented management may be required and can even be used in cases where insufficient drought information is available. Future studies can use the proposed method while considering assessment factors that describe upland field conditions.

Drought events in Hungary and farmers’ attitudes towards sustainable irrigation

Among the different forms of agricultural damage in Hungary, drought poses a remarkably high risk according to the reported drought events, the area affected, and the level of mitigation payments. This study explores drought damage based on the 2018–2020 data of the Hungarian Agricultural Risk Management System. Owing to eligibility criteria, slightly more than half of the members of the scheme who reported drought damage received mitigation payments, but for them, the value of compensation significantly exceeded the mitigation contribution. According to our results, most of the damaged areas were outside the impact areas of water supply systems or were within the impact area but on non-irrigated fields, which proved that irrigation could be an effective drought mitigation tool. To avoid drought damage, irrigation development is essential, and special attention should be paid to the territory of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county. This area suffered significant drought damage in the years examined, and currently the impact area of the surface water-based water supply systems is small, while the groundwater resources are already overexploited. At the same time, the risk management system should be modified to transform it into a preventive system which encourages farmers to use water retentive soil cultivation methods, appropriate cropping systems, sustainable water management, and efficient and reasonable levels of irrigation. Accordingly, fewer mitigation benefits would be paid through less drought damage. Based on questionnaire surveys, farmers are open to using water retention practices and sustainable irrigation management.

Contribution of data-driven methods to risk reduction and climate change adaptation in Hungary and beyond

Among a series of tangible phenomena related to climate change and ecosystem degradation, the severe drought damage that occurred in 2022 urges in particular a thoughtful and long-term concept to tackle and mitigate the effects of similar events. To develop this concept, in addition to taking stock of scientific results so far, it is crucial to establish the basis for mutually supportive cooperation between the sectors concerned, including agriculture, water management, and nature conservation. As confirmed by scientific knowledge, the continuous deterioration of the landscape's water retention and evapotranspiration capacity is associated with weakening the climate regulating function and the degradation of agricultural production conditions. Accordingly, the task is not to find new resources and interventions ensuring the continuation of current landscape use; the real goal is to find the landscape use (farming methods and water use) that will ensure sustainable human livelihoods and environmental conditions. All the tools and knowledge are available for the first steps and subsequent ongoing monitoring and refinement of a precautionary and prevention-based approach to support all levels of ecosystem services. With continuous professional dialogue and implementation of established and new methods, several goals can be achieved simultaneously, such as the integration of economic trends into the approach, the revitalization of Hungarian landscape culture, and hence the preservation of the rural workforce.

Retracted: Rice Drought Damage Assessment Using AMSR-E Data Inversion of Surface Temperature.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/4117481.].