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Indicator Assessment

Water-limited crop productivity

Indicator Assessment
Prod-ID: IND-181-en
  Also known as: CLIM 032
Published 20 Nov 2012 Last modified 11 May 2021
12 min read
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This page was archived on 05 Aug 2014 with reason: Other (New version data-and-maps/indicators/crop-yield-variability-1/assessment-1 was published)
  • Yields of several crops (e.g. wheat) are stagnating, whereas yields of other crops (e.g. maize in north Europe) are increasing; both effects are partly due to the observed climatic warming.
  • Extreme climatic events, including droughts and heat waves, have negatively affected crop productivity during the first decade of the 21st century, and this is expected to further increase yield variability under climate change.
  • Crop yields will be affected by the combined effects of changes in temperature, rainfall and atmospheric CO2 concentration. Future climate change can lead to yield decreases or increases, depending on crop type and with considerable regional differences across Europe.

Projected changes in effective solar radiation from two climate models

Note: The map shows the mean changes in effective solar radiation (MJ m-2), which is an indicator for water-limited crop productivity, for the period 2031–2050 compared with 1975–1994 for the RACMO (KNMI) and HadRCM3 (Hadley Centre.HC) projections under the A1B emission scenario.

Data source:

Data provenance info is missing.

Projected changes in water-limited crop yield

Note: This map provides an aggregated picture of expected changes in crop yields across Europe for the 2050s (compared with 1961–1990). The simulations by the ClimateCrop model are based on an ensemble of 12 GCMs under the A1B emission scenario. They include effects of changes in temperature, precipitation and CO2 concentration on crop yields of three main crops assuming current irrigated area.

Simulated change in water-limited wheat production

Note: The figure shows the simulated change in water-limited wheat production for 2030 compared with 2000 for the A1B emission scenario using a cold (ECHAM5) (left) and a warm (HADCM3) (right) climate change projection. The simulation was performed on a 25x25 km grid (assuming current area of wheat cropping) but the results are presented here at the NUTS-2 level.

Past trends

A global analysis of yields of cereal crops (wheat, maize and barley) has shown yield decreases due to increasing mean temperatures [i]. Similar effects have been observed for various countries in Europe [ii]. Increasing temperatures have also been attributed as one of the main causes for the lack of yield increase of winter wheat in France despite improvements in crop breeding [iii]. Grain yields in maize have been steadily increasing in northern Europe, whereas yields in southern Europe seem to have been stagnating. There is also a tendency for increasing variability of grain yields in France and Italy, linked to occurrence of heat waves and droughts [iv]. These climatic extremes affected the crop production in large areas of southern and central Europe in 2003 and 2007. In contrast to cereals and oilseed crops, potato and sugar beet seem to have responded positively to the increasing temperatures by increasing yields, most likely due to longer growing seasons [v].

Projections

The impact of future changes in climate on crop yield depends on the characteristics of the climatic change within a region as well as on a combination of other environmental, economic, technological and management factors [vi]. The index of effective solar radiation sum has been developed as a proxy for the effects of environmental changes on crop productivity [vii], and it integrates the daily solar radiation on those days where neither temperature nor soil moisture is limiting for growth. This index estimates the potential for rain-fed crop production using a standard soil across the entire continent, although this may be greatly modified by local soil conditions. Figure 1 shows the projected changes in effective radiation sum for the 2040s for climate projections from two different climate models. Both projections show reduced production potential in large parts of southern Europe and increases in the far north, but they differ substantially for areas in-between. A broader analysis of climate change scenarios for agricultural productivity in Europe has provided a clear picture of deterioration of agroclimatic conditions from increased drought stress and a shortening of active growing season across large parts of southern and central Europe [viii]. Results also suggest a risk of an increasing number of unfavourable years for agricultural production in many European climatic zones, resulting in increased variability of crop yield from droughts and heat waves.

The estimates shown in Figure 1 do not consider the effects of enhanced atmospheric CO2 levels on crop productivity. The ClimateCrop model was applied to explore the combined effects of projected changes in temperature, rainfall and CO2 concentration across Europe, considering certain management changes thus incorporating effects of adaptation. The mean projected changes in Figure 2 show the same overall picture as Figure 1 of decreases in yields along the Mediterranean and large increases in Scandinavia. However, throughout large parts of western and central Europe mean changes in crop yields are likely to be small.

Figure 3 shows changes in water-limited wheat production in Europe by 2030 for climate projections from two different climate models [ix]. The results that also include effects of enhanced CO2 concentrations indicate that different climate models can lead to large differences in projected impacts, with both yield increases and decreases possible in northern and southern Europe. The same study showed large differences in simulated yield changes between different crops, climate model projections and time horizons. Neither of these model estimates considers adaptation to climate change, such as changes in crop species and varieties and changes in crop management. It is therefore likely that negative yield impacts will be smaller and positive effects bigger following adaptation in the farming systems.

[i] David B Lobell and Christopher B Field, „Global scale climate–crop yield relationships and the impacts of recent warming“, Environmental Research Letters 2 (März 2007): 014002, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/2/1/014002.

[ii] K. Kristensen, K. Schelde, and J. E. Olesen, „Winter wheat yield response to climate variability in Denmark“, The Journal of Agricultural Science 149, Nr. 01 (2011): 33–47, doi:10.1017/S0021859610000675.

[iii] Nadine Brisson et al., „Why are wheat yields stagnating in Europe? A comprehensive data analysis for France“, Field Crops Research 119, Nr. 1 (Oktober 9, 2010): 201–212, doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2010.07.012.

[iv] J.E. Olesen et al., „Impacts and adaptation of European crop production systems to climate change“, European Journal of Agronomy 34, Nr. 2 (Februar 2011): 96–112, doi:10.1016/j.eja.2010.11.003.

[v] Pirjo Peltonen-Sainio et al., „Coincidence of variation in yield and climate in Europe“, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 139, Nr. 4 (Dezember 2010): 483–489, doi:10.1016/j.agee.2010.09.006.

[vi] P. Reidsma et al., „Adaptation to climate change and climate variability in European agriculture: The importance of farm level responses“, European Journal of Agronomy 32, Nr. 1 (Enero 2010): 91–102, doi:10.1016/j.eja.2009.06.003.

[vii] M Trnka et al., „Expected changes in agroclimatic conditions in Central Europe“, Climatic Change 108 (März 5, 2011): 261–289, doi:10.1007/s10584-011-0025-9.

[viii] Trnka et al., „Expected changes in agroclimatic conditions in Central Europe“.

[ix] M. Donatelli et al., Assessing agriculture vulnerabilities for the design of effective measures for adaption to climate change (AVEMAC project) EUR 25249 (Luxembourg: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, 2012), http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/analysis/external/avemac/full_text_en.pdf.

Supporting information

Indicator definition

  • Projected changes in effective solar radiation
  • Projected changes in water-limited crop yield
  • Projected change in water-limited wheat production

Units

  • MJ/m²
  • %
  • tons/NUTS-2 region

 

Policy context and targets

Context description

In April 2013 the European Commission presented the EU Adaptation Strategy Package (http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/adaptation/what/documentation_en.htm). This package consists of the EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change /* COM/2013/0216 final */ and a number of supporting documents. One of the objectives of the EU Adaptation Strategy is Better informed decision-making, which should occur through Bridging the knowledge gap and Further developing Climate-ADAPT as the ‘one-stop shop’ for adaptation information in Europe. Further objectives include Promoting action by Member States and Climate-proofing EU action: promoting adaptation in key vulnerable sectors. Many EU Member States have already taken action, such as by adopting national adaptation strategies, and several have also prepared action plans on climate change adaptation.

The European Commission and the European Environment Agency have developed the European Climate Adaptation Platform (Climate-ADAPT, http://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/) to share knowledge on observed and projected climate change and its impacts on environmental and social systems and on human health; on relevant research; on EU, national and subnational adaptation strategies and plans; and on adaptation case studies.

Targets

No targets have been specified.

Related policy documents

  • Climate-ADAPT: Adaptation in EU policy sectors
    Overview of EU sector policies in which mainstreaming of adaptation to climate change is ongoing or explored
  • Climate-ADAPT: Country profiles
    Overview of activities of EEA member countries in preparing, developing and implementing adaptation strategies
  • DG CLIMA: Adaptation to climate change
    Adaptation means anticipating the adverse effects of climate change and taking appropriate action to prevent or minimise the damage they can cause, or taking advantage of opportunities that may arise. It has been shown that well planned, early adaptation action saves money and lives in the future. This web portal provides information on all adaptation activities of the European Commission.
  • EU Adaptation Strategy Package
    In April 2013, the European Commission adopted an EU strategy on adaptation to climate change, which has been welcomed by the EU Member States. The strategy aims to make Europe more climate-resilient. By taking a coherent approach and providing for improved coordination, it enhances the preparedness and capacity of all governance levels to respond to the impacts of climate change.
 

Methodology

Methodology for indicator calculation

Projected changes in effective solar radiation are taken from two climate models, which is an indicator for water limited crop productivity, for the period 2031-2050 compared with 1975-1994 for the KNMI and Hadley Centre (HC) climate model projections under the A1B emission scenario.

The mean relative changes in water-limited crop yield are simulated by the ClimateCrop model for the 2050s compared with 1961–1990 for 12 different climate models projections under the A1B emission scenario. The ClimateCrop model was applied to explore the combined effects of projected changes in temperature, rainfall and CO2 concentration across Europe, considering effects of adaptation. The mean projected changes show a pattern of decreases in yields along the Mediterranean and large increases in Scandinavia. However, throughout large parts of western and central Europe mean changes in crop yields are likely to be small.

The simulated change in water-limited wheat production for 2030 compared with 2000 was estimated for the A1B emission scenario using a cold (ECHAM5) (left) and a warm (HADCM3) (right) climate change projection. The production changes are shown for 25x25 km grids assuming current area of wheat cropping. 

Methodology for gap filling

Not applicable

Methodology references

 

Uncertainties

Methodology uncertainty

Not applicable

Data sets uncertainty

Effects of climate change on the growing season and crop phenology can be monitored directly, partly through remote sensing (growing season) and partly through monitoring of specific phenological events such as flowering. There is no common monitoring network for crop phenology in Europe, and data on this therefore has to be based on various national recordings, often from agronomic experiments. Crop yield and crop requirements for irrigation are not only affected by climate change, but also by management and a range of socio-economic factors. The effects of climate change on these factors therefore have to be estimated indirectly using agrometeorological indicators and through statistical analyses between climatic variables and factors such as crop yield.

The projections of climate change impacts and adaptation in agriculture rely heavily on modelling, and it needs to be recognised that there is often a chain of uncertainty involved in the projections going from emission scenario, through climate modelling, downscaling and to assessments of impacts using an impact model. The extent of all these uncertainties is rarely quantified, even though some studies have assessed uncertainties related to individual components. The crop modelling community has only recently started addressing uncertainties related to modelling impacts of climate change on crop yield and effect of possible adaptation options, and so far only few studies have involved livestock systems. Future studies also need to better incorporate effects of extreme climate events as well as biotic hazards (e.g. pests and diseases).

Further information on uncertainties is provided in Section 1.7 of the EEA report on Climate change, impacts, and vulnerability in Europe 2012 (http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/climate-impacts-and-vulnerability-2012/)

Rationale uncertainty

No uncertainty has been specified

Data sources

Other info

DPSIR: Impact
Typology: Descriptive indicator (Type A - What is happening to the environment and to humans?)
Indicator codes
  • CLIM 032
Frequency of updates
Updates are scheduled every 4 years
EEA Contact Info info@eea.europa.eu

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