Impact of Temperature on Soybean Production Yield in Northeast China - Research Paper Example

Proposal Summary Gobal warming is an inevitable fact that demands immediate attention. Prompt adaptive measures are required to ensure that agricultural productivity remains at par with food needs of the growing population. Hence it is important to analyse the effects of increase in temperature on yields of major crops. Northeast China is a prime productive zone in terms of agriculture. It is one of the largest cultivators of soybean, which itself has become an imporatnt protein source for man as well as cattle. Therefore, it is critical to analyse the effect of increase in temperature on the yield of soybean from this belt of China. This research aims to study the effect of temperature as the sole independent variable, in determining the yield of soybean. Every other determinant is maintained at a constant. Data is collected for recently introduced improved spring sown varieties for more than one growing season. Data analysis is done using ordinary least square linear regression and the correlation between temperature and yield is derived. Introduction: The overall increase in the temperature of Earth due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere has been a cause of concern, mainly due to its effects on global climate, and as a consequence, on natural vegetation as well as agricultural productivity (IPCC, 2007a). The impact on agricultural productivity is speculated to be most significant on developing countries, which are also agriculture based economies. Chinese agriculture has a 10,000 years old history and still forms the basis of Chinese economy. North east China with its rich black soil is one of the most fertile agricultural belt. It is the leading producer of food grains as well as commercial crops such as sugarcane, soybean and beets (Lin et al., 2005). Soybean, among these has a place of significance because of its high protein content, which makes it valuable for human consumption and also for protein enrichment of animal feeds. Origin of soyabean cultivation can be traced back to north east China and even today China ranks fourth in area under soybean cultivation. Yet, China also is the major importer of soybean. The high consumption of soybean in China and the constant efforts in form of researches to increase its productivity make it an important part of the country’s economy. Researches have been conducted in past 15 years to study the effect of soil properties, microbes in rhizosphere, and other interactions effecting yield and quality, as well as endeavours to produce resistant or tolerant varieties, application of suitable fertilizers and trace element supplements and suitable tillage practices; specifically with respect to north east China (Liu & Herbert, 2002). In light of the changing climatic conditions due to global warming, to ensure that the efforts put in the previous research are not nullified by the rise in temperature, there is the need to study the effect of increased temperatures, on soybean cultivation. While it is practically impossible to simulate the exact set of climatic conditions that would result due to global warming, since a number of intercting factors come into play in nature when even one variable is altered; some of which still unknown to us, yet it is only by being prepared one can hope to solve a problem. Hence, this research aims to study the impact of temperature specifically due to global warming, on soybean production yield in north east China. Literature Review: The northeast plains of China are around 500m above sea level and are widely interspersed with hills and foothills. Climate of this region is characterised by: a north south gradient of mean annual temperature, ranging from Read More