Changing climate has stalled Australian wheat yields: study

The distribution of the annual change in wheat yield
potential from 1990 to 2015. Each dot represents 
one of the 50 weather stations used in the study. 

Australia’s wheat yields more than trebled during the first 90 years of the 20th century but have stalled since 1990. In research published today in Global Change Biology, we show that rising temperatures and reduced rainfall, in line with global climate change, are responsible for the shortfall.

This is a major concern for wheat farmers, the Australian economy and global food security as the climate continues to change. The wheat industry is typically worth more than A$5 billion per year – Australia’s most valuable crop. Globally, food production needs to increase by at least 60% by 2050, and Australia is one of the world’s biggest wheat exporters.

There is some good news, though. So far, despite poorer conditions for growing wheat, farmers have managed to improve farming practices and at least stabilise yields. The question is how long they can continue to do so.

Read what a trio of CSIRO thinkers have to say on The Conversation - “Changing climate has stalled Australian wheat yields: study.”