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China’s response to extreme weather events must be long term

Nature Food volume 4, pages 1022–1023 (2023)Cite this article

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Specifically in 2023, China endured record-breaking heatwaves during the summer, with temperatures peaking at 41.8 oC in Beijing and a staggering 52.2 oC in Xinjiang’s Turpan, and more than 40 high-temperature warnings. Heat stress has exceeded the upper limit for optimal crop growth4, leading to reduced yields, premature ripening and greater susceptibility to pests and diseases. Rising temperatures have also resulted in short and intense rains, driven by increased convection from warmer and moister air5. Heavy rains flooded northern China’s wheat fields in July and August, raising concerns about the country’s wheat supply. The 2023 summer grain output was 1.27 million tons less than in the previous year6.

Recognizing threats to food security, the Chinese government has implemented measures to tackle compound extremes, especially water storage and irrigation management7. Groundwater irrigation is increasingly important against droughts, especially in the north due to limited rainfall and surface water resources. Agricultural technicians use unmanned aerial vehicles to apply foliar fertilizer, enhancing crop resilience on hot days, while farmers apply specialized sprays to retain moisture on leaves. Under the joint efforts of various stakeholders, crop growth rates in most Chinese regions were comparable to those of previous years, except for specific drought-affected areas7.

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Acknowledgements

This study has been funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42371324, 42001347 and 41471343), the Chinese State Key Research & Development Programme (2017YFC0210100 and 2017YFD0200101) and the High-level Team Project of China Agricultural University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China

    Lei Liu & Xuejun Liu

  2. College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China

    Lei Liu, Hang Xu & Sheng Liu

Authors
  1. Lei Liu
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  2. Hang Xu
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Correspondence to Lei Liu.

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Liu, L., Xu, H., Liu, S. et al. China’s response to extreme weather events must be long term. Nat Food 4, 1022–1023 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00892-w

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