Sensitivity of wheat yield to temperature changes with regional sunlight characteristics in eastern Hokkaido

Abstract

Air temperature and sunshine duration for agricultural fields were extracted from 1-km-resolution weather data, and their relationship with winter wheat yield was compared for the adjacent Tokachi and Okhotsk regions of eastern Hokkaido, Japan. Major climatic drivers of winter wheat yield were air temperature during spring and grain-filling period in Tokachi, and sunshine duration during grain-filling period in Okhotsk. The regional difference in the sensitivity of yield to air temperature is attributed to variations in sunshine duration during grain-filling period. In Tokachi, a shorter grain-filling period limits the cumulative sunlight available to plants, because sunshine duration declines from late June to late July. In Okhotsk, yields of winter wheat were attributed to receiving adequate sunlight, although the growth period was curtailed by higher air temperature. We found that different climatic drivers affected winter wheat yield even in adjacent regions. The sensitivity of winter wheat yield to temperature can be determined by a threshold of 4.5 h daily sunshine duration regardless of region. Short sunshine duration during the grain-filling period exacerbated the sensitivity of wheat yield to temperature. Early summer in Okhotsk is characterized by sunnier weather than in Tokachi due to foehn, with respect to the southerly winds. Then, southerly wind was associated with significantly longer sunshine duration in Okhotsk. Regional cloud development affects sunshine duration as the climatic driver of wheat yield.

Yield response of wheat grown under periodic heat stress imposed by using mini heat tents

“…The increase in wheat yield due to higher sunshine duration was also reported by Shimoda et al. (2015).…”

Rapid Increase and Long-Term Slow Decrease in Soil C stock Due to Agricultural Development in Hokkaido Tokachi District

“…In Tokachi District, the production of cool-season crops such as wheat and potato is changing significantly depending on the seasonal increase in air temperature [10,11]. Farmers are introducing more hot-season crops such as nagaimo (Dioscorea polystachya) and green soy beans to compensate for the economic damage [15].…”

“…In Tokachi District in Northeast Japan, cool-season crops such as wheat and potatoes are grown during summer, under relatively cool climate. The production of wheat and potatoes in Tokachi District accounts for more than one fourth of the total annual production in Japan [10,11]. In the late 19th century, forests covered most of the area in Tokachi District, and with the commencement of colonization they were developed for agriculture.…”

Risk Assessment and Possible Adaptation of Potato Production in Hokkaido to Climate Change Using a Large Number Ensemble Climate Dataset d4PDF

“…As a result, the yield of potatoes, paddy rice, wheat, beats, and others greatly decreased (Hirota et al 2011;Nemoto et al 2011;Shimoda et al 2015). As global warming progresses in the future, the environmental conditions like 2010 in Hokkaido would be increasing.…”