Simulation of future agricultural scenarios for the soybean crop in Brazil based on climate change projections

Author(s)

Evandro Henríque Figueiredo Moura da Silva

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
• Defense date: 2018-02-08

Examining board members

Fábio Ricardo Marin; Luiz Roberto Angelocci; Edson Lazarini

• Advisor: Fábio Ricardo Marin; Felipe Gustavo Pilau

Abstract

Ensuring global food security is one of humanity\'s greatest challenges for the coming decades. The rising population of the planet by about 2 billion people, the rising trend of the middle class and the projections of climate change have been considered as one of the great future challenges for international food security policies. The projections of climate change take into account the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases, with CO2 being the main one. The agricultural sector may be most affected by changes in climate. Brazil is the largest exporter and the second largest producer of soybeans (Glycine max) in the world. This crop represents more than 60% of all plant protein produced in the world. Considering this problem, the present study had as general objective to simulate soybean crop growth in strategically selected points in Brazil, based on observed historical series and future climatic scenarios. For this, the DSSAT / CROPGRO-SOYBEAN model was calibrated for different maturation groups (6.0, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0), to cover at least 80% of all national production. Specifically for group 6.0, it was necessary to install a field experiment in Piracicaba-SP in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons. For the projection of the future climate scenarios the methodology of the international Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) was adopted. These scenarios were based on projections of future concentrations of atmospheric CO2 (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). Considering the two possibilities of future CO2 concentration, three global climate models (GCM) were selected for each homogeneous zone. The homogeneous zones were grouped considering the thermal sum, aridity and seasonality of temperature. Future soybean yields were simulated for the period 2040-2069 (representing 2050). It was noted that climate change may contribute to increase soybean productivity in Brazil for most of the homogeneous zones in the simulated scenarios, but with increasing climatic risk of the crop in some regions. The simulations and homogeneous zones that presented productivity losses were strictly related to the water deficit. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/25702-3 - Simulation of future agricultural scenarios for the soybean crop in Brazil based on climate change projections
• Grantee: Evandro Henrique Figueiredo Moura da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master