Impacts of Climate Change on Cotton Yield in China from 1961 to 2010 Based on Provincial Data

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  • To develop scientific countermeasures, the impacts of climate change on cotton yield during 1961-2010 in three major cotton-producing regions of China were studied by using the available provincial data. The results indicate that (1) a rise in average temperature increased the cotton yield in most provinces of Northwest China and the Yellow River valley; however, the rise in average temperature decreased the cotton yield in the Yangtze River valley. Moreover, cotton production across the entire study region was reduced by approximately 0.1% relative to the average during 1961-2010. (2) A decrease in diurnal temperature range (DTR) reduced cotton yield in some provinces, while a beneficial DTR effect was observed in the other provinces. Changes in DTR resulted in an average decrease in production by approximatly 5.5% across the entire study region. (3) A change in the amount of precipitation increased the cotton yield in some provinces; however, it caused a decrease in other provinces. The decrease in average production due to the change in precipitation was approximately 1.1%. We concluded that the changes in temperature and precipitation decreased cotton yields in China, while beneficial effects of temperature and precipitation existed in the cotton-growing regions of Northwest China during 1961-2010.
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