Agriculture

Global irrigation contribution to wheat and maize yield

X. Wang, C. Müller, et al.

This innovative study by Xuhui Wang and colleagues reveals that irrigation significantly enhances global wheat and maize yields, contributing 34% and 22% respectively. Despite these gains, many regions face water scarcity that threatens agricultural sustainability. Dive into the findings that could transform farming in drought-prone areas.

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Abstract

Irrigation is crucial for boosting crop production and mitigating drought effects. This study quantifies irrigation's contribution to global wheat and maize yields using a Bayesian framework that integrates empirical estimates and gridded global crop models. Globally, irrigation increased wheat yields by 34 ± 9% and maize yields by 22 ± 13%, with significant spatial variability. Comparing irrigation demands with renewable water supply reveals that 30–47% of current rainfed wheat and maize agriculture may lack sufficient water resources to achieve yield gap closure, unless additional water diversion projects are implemented.

Publisher

Nature Communications

Published On

Feb 23, 2021

Authors

Xuhui Wang, Christoph Müller, Joshua Elliot, Nathaniel D. Mueller, Philippe Ciais, Jonas Jägermeyr, James Gerber, Patrice Dumas, Chenzhi Wang, Hui Yang, Laurent Li, Delphine Deryng, Christian Folberth, Wenfeng Liu, David Makowski, Stefan Olin, Thomas A. M. Pugh, Ashwan Reddy, Erwin Schmid, Sujong Jeong, Feng Zhou, Shilong Piao

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