Impact of climate change scenarios on the agroclimate of the Canadian prairies

2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 623-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. McGinn ◽  
A. Shepherd
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Soil Water Deficit ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Key Words Climate Change

Regional climate change scenarios for the Canadian prairies were generated using historic weather data and daily data from two Canadian Climate Centre general circulation models (GCM). Model CGCM1-A was a recent version release while its predecessor was model GCMII. The GCM data were combined with historic values to generate two additional scenarios. All scenarios were used to drive the modified Versatile Soil Moisture Budget model that assessed soil moisture, aridity and other agroclimatic indices. The modelled results for all scenarios were compared to those using the historic climate data. The model predicted earlier seeding dates for spring wheat between 18 and 26 d. Early seeding and harvest was shown to be an appropriate adaptive strategy that avoided more arid conditions in the late summer. The soil water deficit was lower under GCMII than historic values by 46 mm. For CGCM1-A, the soil water deficit was decreased by 8 mm across the Prairie Provinces compared to historic values. GCM scenarios predicted unchanged or increased soil water in the top 120 cm soil across the Canadian prairies compared to the historic scenario. There were some regions such as south eastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba where reductions in summer rainfall (for CGCM1-A) were large. These regions experienced the greatest benefit of earlier seeding dates. Key words: Climate change, agriculture, aridity, growing degree-days, soil moisture, seeding date, harvest date

scholarly journals Assessment of the SMAP-Derived Soil Water Deficit Index (SWDI-SMAP) as an Agricultural Drought Index in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jueying Bai ◽  
Qian Cui ◽  
Deqing Chen ◽  
Haiwei Yu ◽  
Xudong Mao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Microwave Remote Sensing ◽  
Agricultural Drought ◽  
Drought Monitoring ◽  
In Situ Observation ◽  
Soil Water Deficit ◽  
The South ◽  
The North

China is frequently subjected to local and regional drought disasters, and thus, drought monitoring is vital. Drought assessments based on available surface soil moisture (SM) can account for soil water deficit directly. Microwave remote sensing techniques enable the estimation of global SM with a high temporal resolution. At present, the evaluation of Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) SM products is inadequate, and L-band microwave data have not been applied to agricultural drought monitoring throughout China. In this study, first, we provide a pivotal evaluation of the SMAP L3 radiometer-derived SM product using in situ observation data throughout China, to assist in subsequent drought assessment, and then the SMAP-Derived Soil Water Deficit Index (SWDI-SMAP) is compared with the atmospheric water deficit (AWD) and vegetation health index (VHI). It is found that the SMAP can obtain SM with relatively high accuracy and the SWDI-SMAP has a good overall performance on drought monitoring. Relatively good performance of SWDI-SMAP is shown, except in some mountain regions; the SWDI-SMAP generally performs better in the north than in the south for less dry bias, although better performance of SMAP SM based on the R is shown in the south than in the north; differences between the SWDI-SMAP and VHI are mainly shown in areas without vegetation or those containing drought-resistant plants. In summary, the SWDI-SMAP shows great application potential in drought monitoring.

Soybean Irrigation Initiation in Mississippi: Yield, Soil Moisture, and Economic Response

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-50
Author(s):  
H. C. Pringle, III ◽  
L. L. Falconer ◽  
D. K. Fisher ◽  
L. J. Krutz
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Potential ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Mississippi Delta ◽  
Soil Water Potential ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Silty Clay ◽  
Soil Water Deficit ◽  
Soybean Yield

Abstract. Irrigated acreage is expanding and groundwater supplies are decreasing in the Mississippi Delta. Efficient irrigation scheduling of soybean [ (L.) Merr] will aid in conservation efforts to sustain groundwater resources. The objective of this study was to develop irrigation initiation recommendations for soybean grown on Mississippi Delta soils. Field studies were conducted on a deep silty clay (SiC) in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 and on a deep silty clay loam (SiCL) and deep silt loam (SiL) or loam (L) soil in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Irrigation was initiated multiple times during the growing season and soybean yield and net return were determined to evaluate the effectiveness of each initiation timing. Growth stage, soil water potential (SWP), and soil water deficit (SWD) were compared at these initiation timings to determine which parameter or combination of parameters consistently predicted the resulting greatest yields and net returns. Stress conditions that reduce yield can occur at any time from late vegetative stages to full seed on these deep soils. The wide range of trigger values found for SWP and SWD to increase yields in different years emphasizes the complexity of irrigation scheduling. Monitoring soil moisture by itself or use of a single trigger value is not sufficient to optimize irrigation scheduling to maximize soybean yield with the least amount of water every year on these soils. Monitoring one or more parameters (e.g., leaf water potential, canopy temperature, air temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind) is needed in conjunction with soil moisture to directly or indirectly quantify the abiotic stresses on the plant to better define when a yield reducing stress is occurring. Keywords: Irrigation initiation, Irrigation scheduling, Soil water deficit, Soil water potential, Soybean, Water conservation.

scholarly journals Satellite Soil Moisture for Agricultural Drought Monitoring: Assessment of SMAP-Derived Soil Water Deficit Index in Xiang River Basin, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Zhu ◽  
Yulin Luo ◽  
Yue-Ping Xu ◽  
Ye Tian ◽  
Tiantian Yang
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Probability Of Detection ◽  
Agricultural Drought ◽  
Drought Monitoring ◽  
Soil Water Deficit ◽  
R Value ◽  
Xiang River

Agricultural drought can have long-lasting and harmful impacts on both the ecosystem and economy. Therefore, it is important to monitor and predict agricultural drought accurately. Soil moisture is the key variable to define the agricultural drought index. However, in situ soil moisture observations are inaccessible in many areas of the world. Remote sensing techniques enrich the surface soil moisture observations at different tempo-spatial resolutions. In this study, the Level 2 L-band radiometer soil moisture dataset was used to estimate the Soil Water Deficit Index (SWDI). The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) dataset was evaluated with the soil moisture dataset obtained from the China Land Soil Moisture Data Assimilation System (CLSMDAS). The SMAP-derived SWDI (SMAP_SWDI) was compared with the atmospheric water deficit (AWD) calculated with precipitation and evapotranspiration from meteorological stations. Drought monitoring and comparison were accomplished at a weekly scale for the growing season (April to November) from 2015 to 2017. The results were as follows: (1) in terms of Pearson correlation coefficients (R-value) between SMAP and CLSMDAS, around 70% performed well and only 10% performed poorly at the grid scale, and the R-value was 0.62 for the whole basin; (2) severe droughts mainly occurred from mid-June to the end of September from 2015 to 2017; (3) severe droughts were detected in the southern and northeastern Xiang River Basin in mid-May of 2015, and in the northern basin in early August of 2016 and end of November 2017; (4) the values of percentage of drought weeks gradually decreased from 2015 to 2017, and increased from the northeast to the southwest of the basin in 2015 and 2016; and (5) the average value of R and probability of detection between SMAP_SWDI and AWD were 0.6 and 0.79, respectively. These results show SMAP has acceptable accuracy and good performance for drought monitoring in the Xiang River Basin.

Impact assessment of climate change and later-maturing cultivars on winter wheat growth and soil water deficit on the Loess Plateau of China

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 157-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dianyuan Ding ◽  
Hao Feng ◽  
Ying Zhao ◽  
Wenzhao Liu ◽  
Haixin Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Soil Water Deficit ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Wheat Growth

scholarly journals Adapting a Cloud-Based Irrigation Scheduler for Sugar Beets in the High Plains

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-488
Author(s):  
Allan A. Andales ◽  
Andrew C. Bartlett ◽  
Troy A. Bauder ◽  
Erik M. Wardle
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Beet ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Crop Coefficient ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Soil Water Deficit ◽  
Sugar Beets ◽  
Water Deficits

Highlights An existing sugar beet crop coefficient curve (K cr ) was modified to better represent canopy development in northeast Colorado conditions. The modified K cr curve improved the estimated soil water deficits (net irrigation requirements) calculated by the cloud-based Water Irrigation Scheduler for Efficient Application (WISE App). Feedback from sugar beet growers and agronomists helped expand WISE applicability in the northern High Plains with access to additional weather station networks and functionality to aggregate irrigation data across multiple sugar beet fields or regions. Abstract . The convergence of agrometeorological network, database, and cloud-computing technologies has enabled greater accessibility of irrigation management tools for growers. The goal of this research and outreach project was to adapt an existing cloud-based irrigation scheduler (WISE) for use by sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) producers in eastern Colorado and a wider area of a cooperative operating in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana. Four center pivot sugar beet fields in northeast Colorado were monitored during the 2013 and 2014 growing seasons. Soil water, leaf area index (LAI), and weather data were used to estimate the soil water deficit (net irrigation requirement) and to modify a crop coefficient (Kcr) curve originally reported in the literature based on growing degree days (GDD). The average cumulative GDDs for sugar beets to mature (100% maturity) was 2,944°C·d. The localized Kcr had a peak value (Kcr,mid) occurring between 43% and 69% of maturity, which corresponded to effective full cover (LAI = 3) and start of leaf senescence, respectively. In contrast, the original Kcr curve from literature had a longer duration of Kcr,mid spanning 33% to 83% of maturity. Use of the modified Kcr curve in lieu of the original Kcr curve in WISE reduced the relative error of soil water deficits by 12% to 35%. Feedback and collaborations from representative sugar beet growers and agronomists in the Western Sugar Cooperative led to expansion of WISE weather data access in the High Plains to include sugar beet growing areas in western Nebraska, eastern and northern Wyoming, and southern Montana. Keywords: Crop coefficient, Evapotranspiration, Irrigation scheduling, Soil water balance, Soil water deficit, Sugar beets.

scholarly journals Sustainable irrigation based on co-regulation of soil water supply and atmospheric evaporative demand

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingwen Zhang ◽  
Kaiyu Guan ◽  
Bin Peng ◽  
Ming Pan ◽  
Wang Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Soil Water Deficit ◽  
Irrigation Scheme ◽  
Irrigation Water Use

AbstractIrrigation is an important adaptation to reduce crop yield loss due to water stress from both soil water deficit (low soil moisture) and atmospheric aridity (high vapor pressure deficit, VPD). Traditionally, irrigation has primarily focused on soil water deficit. Observational evidence demonstrates that stomatal conductance is co-regulated by soil moisture and VPD from water supply and demand aspects. Here we use a validated hydraulically-driven ecosystem model to reproduce the co-regulation pattern. Specifically, we propose a plant-centric irrigation scheme considering water supply-demand dynamics (SDD), and compare it with soil-moisture-based irrigation scheme (management allowable depletion, MAD) for continuous maize cropping systems in Nebraska, United States. We find that, under current climate conditions, the plant-centric SDD irrigation scheme combining soil moisture and VPD, could significantly reduce irrigation water use (−24.0%) while maintaining crop yields, and increase economic profits (+11.2%) and irrigation water productivity (+25.2%) compared with MAD, thus SDD could significantly improve water sustainability.

scholarly journals Effects of revegetation on soil moisture under different precipitation gradients in the Loess Plateau, China

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1378-1390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Tian ◽  
Xiaoming Feng ◽  
Lu Zhang ◽  
Bojie Fu ◽  
Shuai Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Tree Planting ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Soil Water Deficit ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Soil Desiccation

Revegetation can alter catchment water balance and result in soil desiccation. Large-scale revegetation took place in the Loess Plateau of China to control soil erosion and improve environmental conditions. However, the dynamic nature of soil moisture in response to revegetation under different climatic conditions is still unclear mainly due to lack of long-term in situ observations. To overcome this challenge, a biophysically based ecohydrological model (WAVES) was used to examine the effects of revegetation on soil moisture. Results showed that trees consume more water (100% of precipitation) than shrub (97.6%) and grass (98.3%), and therefore are more likely to result in soil desiccation. No runoff occurred under the tree scenario, while for shrub and grass, runoff accounted for 2.4% and 1.7% of precipitation, respectively. In areas with mean annual precipitation (MAP) less than 400 mm, tree planting resulted in soil water deficit, while in areas with MAP exceeding 600 mm, no soil water deficit occurred. Within this MAP range (400 < MAP < 600 mm), this could lead to soil water deficit during dry years. Extending this analysis to the entire Loess Plateau, 40% of the region will face reduced soil moisture when converting cropland to trees.

Potential impacts of climate change on grazing capacity of native grasslands in the Canadian prairies

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 595-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Thorpe ◽  
S A Wolfe ◽  
B. Houston
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Actual Evapotranspiration ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Geographic Patterns ◽  
Key Words Climate Change ◽  
Grassland Production ◽  
Grazing Capacity ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Relationships between climate and native grassland production in the Canadian prairies were modelled and used to estimate the potential impacts of climate change on grazing capacity. Field measurements of production were related to climate variables and water balance estimates using regression analysis. Historical time series showed that year-to-year production is most closely correlated with annual actual evapotranspiration, whereas geographic patterns revealed that average production is most closely related to the annual water deficit. Climate and production estimates from the US Great Plains represent potential analogues for the Canadian prairies in the 2050s. Analysis of geographic patterns using Canadian and US data showed that production can be related to actual evapotranspiration (Model 1) or the ratio of actual to potential evapotranspiration (Model 2). The proportion of warm-season (C4) grasses has a significant effect on production in these models. A third independent model (Model 3) using US production data was used for comparison. Five general circulation model (GCM) scenarios covering a range of predictions simulated warmer climates of the 2050s. The production models were used to estimate changes in grassland production. On loamy soils, Model 1 predicts increases in production whereas Models 2 and 3 predict decreases. However, all predicted changes are modest, indicating that Canadian grasslands will probably remain productive over the next 50 yr. In addition, warm-season grasses could increase, particularly on sandy soils, thus benefiting productivity. Key words: Climate change, grazing capacity, grasslands, prairies

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