Assessment of Agricultural Drought Vulnerability Based on Crop Growth Stages: A Case Study of Huaibei Plain, China

Abstract Climate change can lead to and intensify drought disasters. Quantifying the vulnerability of disaster-affected elements is significant for understanding mechanisms that transform intensity into eventual loss. This study proposed a growth-stage-based index (GDVI) soybean using meteorological, groundwater, land use, field experiment data crop growth model simulation. The CROPGRO-Soybean was used simulate water deficit. Four stages were considered since sensitivity strictly related stage. GDVI applied Huaibei Plain, Anhui Province, China, with goal quantifying spatiotemporal characteristics in typical years stages. results show that: (1) leaf-related parameters exceeded other during vegetative stage, whereas top weight grain yield showed higher reproductive stage; (2) A semi-logarithmic law describe relationship between indicators four pod-filling phase most vulnerable stage deficit highest loss upper limit (over 70%); (3) 2001 2002 seasons driest time 1997−2006. Fuyang Huainan Cities more than regions on Plain 2001, while Suzhou susceptible areas 2002. could provide effective decision support categorization droughts.