27.06.2023
In a recent study published in the journal Nature, scientists looked at the impact of extreme rainfall on rice harvests in China. Through long-term observations and experiments, they found that heavy rain can reduce harvests by up to eight percent. Furthermore, the authors forecast additional yield reductions of another eight percent by the end of the century due to global warming. Prof. Heidi Webber, a scientist at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), was involved in the study.
Rice is an important food source for more than half of the world's population. For this study, researchers used a computer model based on nationwide observations and experiments to calculate that heavy rainfall can reduce rice yields by up to eight percent. This is similar to the extent of yield loss caused by extreme heat. The main reason for the yield losses is the limited availability of the important plant nutrient nitrate due to rain, which affects plant growth. In addition, rain affects the pollination process.
Extreme climate events are occurring more frequently in the context of the climate crisis and are contributing to yield losses in agriculture. The impacts range from fluctuations in food prices to food insecurity and famine. Therefore, it is critical to better understand the impacts of extreme climate events in order to adapt food systems to future climate change and ensure food security for the world's growing population.
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