Climate change effects on crop yields in Serbia and related shifts of Köppen climate zones under the SRES-A1B and SRES-A2

Abstract

We considered shifts in the Köppen climate zones and the corresponding impact on the crop yields in Serbia by comparing (1) the results of downscaling with the ECMWF Hamburg Atmospheric Model 5 (ECHAM5) and regional Eta Belgrade University (EBU)-Princeton Ocean Model (POM) model for the A1B and A2 scenarios over 2001-2030 and 2071-2100 and (2) the present climate simulations for the period 1961-1990. We analyzed the EBU-POM regional climate model complexity by calculating the corresponding metrics. The yields of winter wheat, maize and soybeans were evaluated with the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) model. In the future, the Köppen climate zones of Serbia will shift in coverage percentage and altitude from the present climate simulations toward warmer and drier climate zones. The calculated climate indices feature changes in the following parameters: increases in the mean annual temperature, growing season temperature, number of growing degree days (higher than 5 °C) and the frequency of tropical days; and decreases in the mean annual precipitation, growing season precipitation and frequency of frost days. Yields of crops (winter wheat, maize and soybeans) will increase on average under both scenarios, with the exception of maize in non-irrigated conditions and under the A2 scenario.