Crop Water Demand for Rain-Fed Maize in Northeast of China

Drought risk is one of the main constraint for stabling high maize production in the Northeast of China (NEC), where about 30% of the national maize is produced. Maize in the NEC is especially vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather. Previous studies on water demand of maize are based on field experiments by crop model, but water demand of different maize growth stages is rarely studied. Given the importance of NEC in China's food security, it is crucial to optimize the irrigation schedule to mitigate the negative effects of drought. In this study, we use the AEZ model to examine the climate change impacts on maize water demand in NEC. This model is employed to simulate the future maize water demand on climate scenario from NorESM1-M model driven by 2 Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5). Results indicate that climate change will affect water demand of mazie in NEC. The increasing frequency and rising amount of water demand in the western part of NEC where should be given priority for soil moisture monitoring and irrigation.