engleski

Precipitation and temperature regime impacts on maize yields in Eastern Croatia

There is usually a close relation between low maize yields and precipitation shortage in South East Europe as a major European maize production area, especially during the summer months of July and August. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between maize yield and weather data for the 1971-1990 and 1996-2003 periods in Eastern Croatia applying a seasonal aridity index (AI). Generally, there was no significant relation between yield and AI in the period 1971-1985 in Eastern Croatia. However, this relation was very strong (r = 0.9) for the period 1996-2003. Particularly low maize yields in the region in 2000 and 2003 were consistent with respective high values of AI. Thus, aridity index was verified as a useful tool for describing precipitation and temperature regime impacts on maize yield in South East Europe, especially for explaining severe yield fluctuations occurred in recent years.

maize ; yield ; temperature ; precipitation ; Aridity index ; South East Europe

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