Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations in Eastern US Crop Production

Abstract

Climate change is affecting crop production in the Eastern US and is expected to continue doing so unless adaptation measures are employed. In the first study, we conducted surveys and interviews to identify crop management practices currently used as adaptations in the Mid-Atlantic US. The results pointed to a variety of water and soil management practices, changes in crop characteristics, and changes in planting dates. In the second study, we used the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model to evaluate future climate change impacts and adaptations in Eastern US corn-soybean rotation systems. The effects of climate change on yields ranged from decreases to increases, generally improving with latitude and worsening with time. Climate change affected corn yields more negatively or less positively than soybean yields. No-tillage and rye cover cropping did not serve as effective adaptations in regards to yields. In fact, planting rye after corn and soybeans reduced corn yields.