by PressThere is a decline in grain yields in East Asia
Factors affecting the decline in wheat, rice, and corn yields
Experts note the decline in wheat yields in China, its production decreased by more than 33%. The main reasons for this are called the unfavorable environmental situation and pollution of the ozone layer.
This problem is familiar not only to Chinese farmers; producers from South Korea and Japan also noted a decrease in yields. Analysts calculate that the agricultural industry loses about $68 billion in revenue each year as a result of air pollution.
East Asia is characterized by a high level of harmful emissions in the ozone layer, which negatively affects the growth of crops. Pollution slows down the rate of shoot ripening and reduces crop quality. And it is not only wheat that suffers. For example, in China, corn production has fallen by 9% and rice by 23%. In Japan, the wheat harvest fell by 15%, and in Korea by 27%. Rice production in the countries fell by 5% and 10%, respectively, and corn production fell by 8% and 4%.
Ozone in the stratosphere performs a protective function by reducing the effects of ultraviolet radiation. However, when it enters the lower atmosphere, it turns into a greenhouse gas that intensifies the effect of toxic substances. Among the latter, sulfuric acid and nitric acid are particularly dangerous.
Chinese ecologists have analyzed how ozone pollution affects crop yields throughout the region. They conducted experiments on rice, wheat, and corn, exposing the grains to ozone at different concentrations. So they found out that the gas slows down the development of grains, thereby having a negative impact on production volumes. Chinese farmers suffer the most since the level of air pollution in the country breaks all records in the world.
As a result, agriculture in the above-mentioned states annually loses several hundreds of thousands of tons of crops, which affects both the domestic and world markets.
Forecasts of ecologists are disappointing. They note that the situation with a high concentration of harmful substances in the ozone layer in East Asia will only worsen in the coming years. This will entail a further reduction of crop yields. To improve the situation, it is necessary to take effective measures to clean the air and reduce emissions into the atmosphere today.
It should be noted that the problem of increasing the productivity of grain crops is relevant not only for this region. The global trend of increasing consumption of agricultural products from year to year is becoming more serious, especially against the background of the increase in the population of the planet. At the same time, climate deterioration, the use of a large number of chemicals, and the impact of diseases make production difficult and not always highly profitable.