Climate Change and Its Impact to Maize Yield in Heilongjiang Province

Climate change affects regional crop production.Heilongjiang Province is one of the most important grain-producing provinces in China,and its maize production plays an important role in local and national food security.Moreover,Climate change has occurred in Heilongjiang Province in 30 years(1980-2009).Based on the 30-year observational data from 30 meteorological stations,in this study the climate change at different maize growing stages was researched,and the correlations between maize yield per unit area and climate factors at different maize growing stages were analyzed.The results showed that the average temperature,maximum temperature and minimum temperature were all increased at different maize growing stages in recent 30 years,and spatially their increase amplitudes were increased from east to west.Temporally,sunshine duration and reference crop evapotranspiration were also in an increase trend at all other growing stages except at the sowing and seedling stages,and their change amplitudes were increased from southwest to northeast.Spatial change of precipitation was different from different maize growing stages.There was a positive correlation between the maize meteorological yield and the minimum temperature at panicle and corncob stages,but a negative one between the maize meteorological yield and the maximum temperature at anthesis stage.