Trends in regional climate change and field crop productivity in Orenburg steppe region of Russia

Abstract

Abstract Over the past four decades, climate in Orenburg region changed towards a significant increase in average annual air temperature from 4.5 ° C to 6.2 ° C and a significant decrease in the annual precipitation from 380 to 320 mm. For winter and early grain crops, these changes led to a sharp decrease in the productivity of crops about 2 times compared to the maximum values in the early 90s. Sunflower and sorghum cereals being the most thermophilic and drought-resistant crops adapted to the changed climate conditions better than other crops. The relationships that we have established between the temperature anomaly in the lower troposphere of the Northern Hemisphere and crop productivity can be used in models for long-term forecasting of weather changes and the productivity of field crops in Orenburg region.