Crop Improvement—Discussion

Abstract

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Tropical regions of the world are mostly occupied by the developing countries, characterized by low income and high population density. To assess the response of tropical agroecosystems to climate change, climatic zones can be classified as follows: humid tropics, semi-arid tropics, arid tropics, and cool sub-tropical. The major agroecosystems of the humid tropics include rice as the most important crop. Of the several climate models the Goddard Institute of Space Studies, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory and United Kingdom Meteorology Office models have been used more frequently than others to assess the impact of climate change on agriculture. The International Rice Research Institute has conducted worldwide trials on rice to determine its adaptability to various climates. Models for evaluating the impact of climate change on productivity of wheat indicate that the increased temperature will reduce wheat yields despite an increased rate of photosynthesis due to CO2 enrichment.