Wheat: The potential for extreme temperatures has increased significantly in the wheat-growing regions of the US and China, which could affect crop yields. This information has been revealed in a study. According to information published in the journal NPJ Climate and Atmospheric Science, a heat wave that used to occur once every hundred years is now likely to occur once every six years in the Midwestern US and once every 16 years in Northeast China.
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what is the research about
The US and China are considered the global breadbaskets – regions that produce much of the grain the world needs. If these crops fail together or at the same time as other staple crops, it could have a serious impact on the price and availability of food around the world. The study is about the situation for which people need to prepare, even if such a situation has not arisen yet.
Research on climate change
The historical record no longer tells us what to expect for the future, said Erin Coughlan de Perez, associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Coughlan de Perez said, we are living in a changed climate and people are ignoring the conditions arising from climate change.
The temperature was higher by 1.1 degree Celsius
According to the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the average global temperature over the past decade was 1.1°C higher than between 1850 and 1900. For the study, Coughlan de Perez and his team gathered a large set of weather forecasts from the past 40 years. They used this set to generate thousands of possible variations in temperature and precipitation.
Winter wheat crops grow in the fall and are harvested the following summer. Higher temperatures in the spring, when the wheat plant is flowering, can affect wheat growth. Plants get affected by heat at temperatures above 27.8°C. When the temperature exceeds 32.8 degree Celsius, important enzymes in wheat start breaking down.
Coughlan de Perez said the record-breaking heat and record-breaking drought are linked. The combination of these two hazards can seriously affect the wheat crop. It can be believed that if we are not ready to recover from the serious consequences of climate change, then the main product made from flour can be affected and its prices can increase. As it was seen in the countries around the world after the Russia-Ukraine war last year, the prices of flour went up wildly after the wheat shortage.
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