Adaptation Strategies for Corn Yield under Climate Change in Deep South, USA

The Deep South of the United States is mainly rain-fed farmland, and climate change may readily impair sustainable agricultural yields in this region. Therefore, it is critical to comprehend the impact of climate change on corn production, the region's principal food crop. In this study, we analyze corn yields in the Mobile River Basin of Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia (the Deep South) and propose corn cultivation adaptation strategies, particularly in light of anticipated water shortages by climate change. According to the results of the DSSAT crop model and several climate models, climate change will significantly impact the study area, resulting in a decline in corn production under the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios. Given the negative impact of future climate change on local corn yield, this study proposed the effects of four adaptive strategies (adjusting corn planting date, supplementing irrigation water, adjusting fertilizer application date, and supplementing fertilizer application dose) on climate change mitigation. Planting one week early had the most excellent benefits, increasing corn yields by 7.5-20%. Fertilizer application two weeks earlier raised corn yield by 1.4-7.1%, while irrigation water supplementation enhanced corn yield by 13-16%. Under any conditions, supplementing fertilizer application dose's effect on corn yield was insignificant. The findings of this study provide farmers with more corn adaptation strategies to mitigate the influence of climate change on corn yield.