Agricultural impacts of and responses to climate change in the Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas (Mink) region

As part of the MINK (Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas) study, crop production was simulated for a set of representative farms across the MINK region under the normal climate found during the 1951 90 period. The representative farms typified farming systems within a set of Major Land Resource Areas, as...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Climatic change 1993-06, Vol.24 (1-2), p.23-23
Main Authors: Easterling, W.E. III (Nebraska Univ., Lincoln, NE (USA). Dept. of Agricultural Meteorology), Crosson, P.R, Rosenberg, N.J, McKenney, M.S, Katz, L.A, Lemon, K.M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
CAMBIO CLIMATICO
CARBON DIOXIDE
CLIMATIC CHANGE
CROPS
CULTIVOS
DIOXIDO DE CARBONO
DIOXYDE DE CARBONE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
IMPACT SUR L'ENVIRONNEMENT
IMPACTO AMBIENTAL
IOWA
KANSAS
MISSOURI
MODELE
MODELOS
NEBRASKA
PLANTE DE CULTURE
RENDEMENT
RENDIMIENTO
VARIATION DU CLIMAT
YIELDS
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Summary:As part of the MINK (Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas) study, crop production was simulated for a set of representative farms across the MINK region under the normal climate found during the 1951 90 period. The representative farms typified farming systems within a set of Major Land Resource Areas, as designated by SCS. The simulations were then scaled from the individual farms up to the regional level in order to assess the effect of climate change on MINK's crop output. The Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator (EPIC) model was used to determine the relationship between climate and crop growth. Modifications were made in EPIC to permit mechanistic simulation of photosynthetic and evapotranspirational responses to increasing ambient carbon dioxide concentrations and changing climatic conditions. Simulation results suggest that the projected warmer and dryer climate in the midwest would be severe enough to reduce the productivity of all crops, but wheat and alfalfa would be especially impacted. Crop production would be reduced by 17%. Low-cost adjustments would be used to offset a portion of the simulated yield loss caused by climate change, but most crops would continue to yield less than is currently seen.
ISSN:0165-0009
1573-1480
DOI:10.1007/BF01091476