Impact of Extreme Temperature and Soil Water Stress on the Growth and Yield of Soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merrill)

Labake Ogunkanmi, Dilys S. MacCarthy and Samuel G. K. Adiku
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Labake Ogunkanmi: Department of Soil Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra GA-489-9979, Ghana
Dilys S. MacCarthy: Soil and Irrigation Research Centre, University of Ghana, Kpong EL-0633-5197, Ghana
Samuel G. K. Adiku: Department of Soil Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra GA-489-9979, Ghana

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Climate change is a major environmental stressor that would adversely affect tropical agriculture, which is largely rain-fed. Associated with climate change is an increasing trend in temperature and decline in rainfall, leading to prolonged and repeated droughts. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of climate variables such as temperature, relative humidity, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and soil water on the phenology, biomass, and grain yield of soybean crops. A greenhouse experiment was set in a split plot design with three average environmental conditions as the main plots: E1 (36 °C, RH = 55%), E2 (34 °C, RH = 57%) and E3 (33 °C, RH = 44%). Additionally, there were three water treatments: W1 (near saturation), W2 (Field capacity), and W3 (soil water deficit) and two soybean varieties ( Afayak and Jenguma ). These treatments were replicated nine times. The results showed that high temperatures (E1) accelerated the crop development, particularly at flowering. Additionally, increased atmospheric demand for water under a high temperature environment resulted in high evapotranspiration, leading to high transpiration which probably reduced photosynthetic activity of the plants and thereby contributing to biomass and grain yield loss. Biomass and yield were drastically reduced for the combined effect of high temperature (E1) and drought (W3) as compared to combined effect of ambient temperature (E3) and well-watered condition (W1). Increasing temperatures and erratic rainfall distributions associated with climate change poses a potential threat to the soybean production in Ghana.

Keywords: drought; smallholders; climate change; soybean; Ghana (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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