Risk Assessment of Compound Dry–Hot Events for Maize in Liaoning Province

Abstract

Extreme climates can result in marked damage to crop yields and threaten regional and global food security. Maize is a major grain crop in Liaoning Province which is severely affected by dry and hot weather events. This study was based on the maize yield and daily meteorological data from various meteorological stations in Liaoning Province from 2000 to 2020. We calculated the standardized dry and hot index and constructed a method for estimating the maize yield reduction risk under compound dry–hot events (CDHE) in Liaoning Province by combining the coefficient of variation in maize yield reduction, yield loss risk index, and the frequency of CDHE during yield reduction. The results showed that the high-risk area for the occurrence of CDHE in maize was Chaoyang City, located in the western part of Liaoning Province. Cities in the low-risk area accounted for approximately 64.3% of the total number of cities in Liaoning Province, mainly in the central and northern parts of Liaoning Province. This study emphasizes the impact of CDHE on agricultural production and provides an index for assessing the risk of CDHE on maize production.