Maize and Wheat to be Adversely Affected by Climate Change: NASA

The rising global warming is a danger to all ecosystems, especially humans. Currently, human civilization as a whole depends on three main grain sources to complete half of their total calorie consumption.

These three grains are Paddy, Wheat and maize. Now according to Ellen Gray from Nasa’s Earth science team, two of these three crops are in danger now due to the rising global warming.

According to recent simulations conducted by NASA’s scientists on the effect of climate change on the production of these three main crops in the coming years, the production of maize (corn) and wheat might be affected adversely by 2030 under a high greenhouse gas emissions scenario.

The production of Maize might see a decline by 24 per cent while the production of wheat might see an increase of 16 per cent.

The change in yields is related to the expected increases in temperature, variations in rainfall patterns, and rising surface carbon dioxide concentrations from human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, according to experts using advanced climate and agricultural models. These alterations would make producing maize in the tropics more challenging, but they might increase wheat's growing area.

Although this is an important study topic, these models do not incorporate economic incentives, altering agricultural techniques, or responses such as creating hardier crop types.

Maize which is currently grown all over the equator won’t be able to be produced in the Equator. This prediction of Crop decline will see a major drop in the production rates of Maize in the breadbasket regions of the world namely North and Central America, West Africa, Central Asia, Brazil, and China.

Wheat which comparatively grows in temperate regions may see an increase in the region where it’s cultivated due to the increase of the global temperature. Higher levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide might see an increase in water retention which might result in higher crop yield however at the cost of nutrition.

This is specifically important right now as the Cop 26 or Group of 20 meetings is going on right now and will see crucial decisions on Climate change being taken there. countries like India have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. Thereby helping maintain the current global temperature. Developed nations like the United States are also taking a very active stance right now in the case of climate change.

Hence it’s also important for us as citizens and food producers of the world to reduce our carbon footprints to help humanity as a whole by leaving unsustainable practices like stubble burning and adopting mechanizations that might help solve the carbon emission problems.