Measuring the Effects of Climate Change on Wheat Production: Evidence from Northern China

The impact of carbon emissions from lag fertilization on wheat production

This study examines the influence of lag fertilization techniques on Pakistani wheat production, highlighting the need to understand and mitigate the environmental impacts of farming methods. The basic purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of CO2 emission from fertilization and other factors on wheat production in Pakistan, using a time series of data from 1990 to 2020. CO2 emission from fertilization (CO2EF) is estimated using the default values provided by the IPCC guidelines. The ARDL approach analyses the short-run and long-run effects of CO2EF, technology level, energy use, agricultural land, and agricultural labor on wheat production. The results show that all factors have significantly impacted wheat production in Pakistan at levels of 1% and 5% significance, both in the short and long run. These findings suggest that reducing CO2EF, technology level, energy use, agricultural land, and agricultural labor on wheat production can help to increase wheat production in Pakistan. The study also highlights the importance of adopting sustainable and efficient fertilization practices, exploring alternative fertilizers, and using crop rotation systems to mitigate the adverse effects of carbon emissions from nitrogen fertilization, energy use, and the use of technology. These measures can contribute to a more sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture sector in Pakistan.

Examining the impact of farm management practices on wheat production: Does agricultural investment matter?

Over the years, the allocation of public funds toward agriculture has consistently played a pivotal role in facilitating the modernization and commercialization of the agricultural industry. Similarly, the integration of technological breakthroughs plays a pivotal role in guaranteeing the sustainability of food production, not solely for the present populace but also for subsequent generations. The present study examines the impact of public investment in agriculture and farm management practices, specifically focusing on cultivated area, fertilizer use, pesticide application, total agricultural machinery, and rural labour force on wheat production in nine provinces of China. The study encompasses the period from 1995 to 2020. This study employs advanced econometric techniques, such as second-generation unit root procedures (CADF and CIPS) and the Westerlund cointegration method, to investigate the stationarity properties and cointegration of the variables. The findings derived from the AMG and CCEMG methods indicate that public investment plays a statistically significant influence on wheat production. In the context of production-related variables, long-term wheat production is statistically and substantially influenced by the total area under cultivation, fertilizer use, and pesticide application. Besides these results, the Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality test reveals a unidirectional causality from agricultural machinery power consumption to wheat production. Furthermore, bidirectional causality exists between public investment, cultivated area, fertilizer use, labour, and wheat production. These results provide vital implications and valuable insights for policymakers in China, which may furnish novel policymaking options for sustainable food production through strategic investments in research and development, irrigation systems, and technological advancements.

Pre- and post-melatonin mitigates the effect of ionizing radiation-induced damage in wheat by modulating the antioxidant machinery

As an indolamine, melatonin (C13H16N2O2) performs essential roles in the regulation of plant growth and development and ameliorates the harmful effects of abiotic stresses. This study examined two types of melatonin application, pre-sowing (prMel) and application during growth (ptMel), in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings exposed to four different doses (100, 200, 300, and 400 Gy) of radioactive cobalt (60Co) gamma rays as dry seeds to investigate their ameliorative effects on ionizing radiation (IR) stress. Peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, mono- and dihydroxyperoxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activities, and levels of lipid peroxidation, H2O2, and total glutathione (GSH), and phenolic acids (PHAs) in soluble free, ester, glycoside and ester-bound forms were examined in the seedlings. Both melatonin applications were found to increase lipid peroxidation, H2O2, and GSH contents previously reduced by gamma irradiation. The IR treatment-induced increases in enzyme activities were significantly reduced by melatonin applications. The study findings indicated that high doses of IR resulted in significant decreases in the activity and levels of the measured traits. The predominant PHAs in the tissues were vanillic, ferulic, and p-coumaric acids. In addition, ptMel application combined with IR stress lowered the total phenolic acid contents in the soluble forms while increasing those in the cell wall-bound form. In conclusion, the antioxidant system in the seedlings exposed to the different gamma ray doses was regulated by prMel and ptMel applications in such a manner as to alleviate IR stress-induced oxidatives damages in the wheat.