Enhanced Growth Rate and Reduced Water Demand of Crop Due to Climate Change in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

The specific objectives of this study were to: (a) test the reliability of a regional climate model (RCM) as a tool for climate change projection in the Eastern Mediterranean, (b) compare the observed yield variables of maize and wheat in the region with results of two crop models, (c) compare the models DSSAT and SWAP and (d) use DSSAT and SWAP to generate future productivity of wheat and maize under the A2 global warming scenario. Reference evapotranspiration was highly correlated with the models with average r2 = 0.98 and a unit slope. The two models accurately predicted observed dry mass production (DMP) and leaf area index (LAI) of wheat and maize. The correlations strengthen the legitimacy of DSSAT, SWAP and RCM to serve as predicting models for future climate change on a regional scale.