The Effect of Climate Change on Yield and Quality of Wheat in Ethiopia: A Review

Abstract

The changing climate is one of the biggest threats to agriculture during the years ahead (Kajla et al., 2015). Climate change refers to a period of time where a country or region goes through changing weather or temperature patterns than what is accustomed. Not only that, but it also refers to changes in seasons over long periods of time. Notably these changes have become more drastic in recent years, mainly due to global warming. Climate Change Refers to any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity (IPCC TAR2001).

Climate change is expected to increase future temperatures, potentially resulting in reduced crop production in many key production regions (Tack et al., 2015). Climate change is a serious threat to crop productivity in regions that are already food insecure(Knox et al., 2012). Climate change represents a significant challenge for delivering grain of consistent quality in the future due to the complex interactions of atmospheric CO2, changing temperature and rainfall patterns on yield and quality(Nuttall et al., 2017). Climate change is a global environmental threat to all economic sectors, particularly the agricultural sector(Abid et al., 2015). Global warming is the process of the Earth’s surface and overall temperatures rising due to the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere by humans(Hendrix, 2012). Recent global climate change has made this situation more serious. The expected changes in the climate could strongly affect the wheat production worldwide(Kajla et al., 2015). Climate change is a serious threat to crop productivity in regions that are already food insecure (Knox et al., 2012).

Africa is widely held to be highly vulnerable to future climate change and Ethiopia is often cited as one of the most extreme examples, with reference to the famines of the 1980s to warn of the disasters that may result from anthropogenic climate change(Conway & Schipper, 2011). The climate in Ethiopia is generally associated with tropical monsoon-type behavior, experiencing significant June-September rainfall, yet measurably cooler in its high plateau and Central Mountain range elevations(Paul et al., 2008). In Ethiopia the distribution of rainfall varies over the diverse agro-ecological zones that exist in the country(Zerihun, 2013). Ethiopia’s rain-fed agriculture based economy is highly sensitive to climate fluctuations(Alemayehu, 2015). Ethiopia’s agricultural sector, with cereals as the major food crop, is especially vulnerable to the adversities of weather variability and climate change and is characterized by poor productivity(Oumer, 2016). Climate change impacts on crop yield are different in various areas, in some regions it will increase, in others it will decrease which is concerned with the latitude of the area and irrigation application(Yinhong et al., 2009). The level of increase in climatic factors is dependent on the anthropogenic radiative forcing; the anthropogenic energy emissions influencing the energy system of the earth(Cathrine, 2014). Climate change is likely to influence food-producing capacity in many areas.