Phenological trends in winter wheat and spring cotton in response to climate changes in northwest China

Abstract Understanding of the effects of climatic change on phenological phases of a crop species may help optimize management schemes to increase productivity. This study determined the trend of climatic changes during the period of 1981–2004 in northwest China and assessed the impacts of climatic changes on phenological phases and productivity of winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) and spring cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) at two locations. There was a clear trend of climate warming during the study period, leading to the earliness of pseudo stem elongation, booting, anthesis, and ripening stages of winter wheat by 13.2, 9.8, 11.0, and 10.8 d during the 24-year period, respectively. The growth period from seedling emergence to stem elongation shortened 16.1 d, but the growth period from anthesis to milk prolonged 8.2 d during the 24-year period. In cotton, the dates of seedling emergence, budding, anthesis, and boll-opening stages became earlier by, respectively, 10.9, 9.0, 13.9, and 16.4 d during the period of 1983–2004. However, the growth periods from five-leaf stage to budding, budding to anthesis, and anthesis to boll-opening stages were prolonged by 2.4, 12.0, and 9.0 d, respectively, for every 1 °C of rise in minimum temperature during their respective growth period. Increasing minimum temperatures during the vegetative period positively affected winter wheat growth but increases in maximum temperatures during the reproductive period negatively affected kernel weight and grain yield. Consequently, the grain yield of winter wheat had decreased, but the yield of cotton had increased during the study period. The trend of climate warming appeared to be favourable for cotton production but unfavourable for winter wheat in northwest China.