World population is expected to reach 9.2 × 10(9) people by 2050. Feeding them will require a boost in crop productivity using innovative approaches. Current agricultural production is very dependent on large amounts of inputs and water availability is a major limiting factor. In addition, the loss of genetic diversity and the threat of climate change make a change of paradigm in plant breeding...

the agriculture sector has been affected by severe drought in recent years, making development of a drought warning system for agriculture crucial. such a system can be a useful tool for policy makers and investors. this research develops a model for agricultural drought risk assessment using statistical and intelligent methods. kermanshah province, a major rain-fed region of iran, was selected...

Although deemed a "non-essential" mineral nutrient, silicon (Si) is clearly beneficial to plant growth and development, particularly under stress conditions, including salinity and drought. Here, we review recent research on the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying Si-induced alleviation of osmotic and ionic stresses associated with salinity and drought. We distinguis...

Drought is one of the major natural calamities causing important damages to natural vegetation, agriculture and the society. The climate changes scenarios forecast the increase and intensification of extreme phenomena all over the globe. Romania is one of the most vulnerable countries, and has 7 million hectares located within areas affected by the risk of desertification. An integrated system ...

During severe drought and low flows in the Otago Region of the South Island of New Zealand, increased bacterial contamination of rivers occurred in agricultural/ pastoral catchments due to greater stock use of waterways and the lack of dilution and flushing flows. Concentrations and loadings of nitrogen and phosphorus generally decreased due to the lack of rainfall, runoff and transport from di...

Livestock farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa rely on rain-fed agriculture, which exposes them to the risks of agricultural drought. Agricultural drought has become a significant threat extreme mortality livestock, thus negatively impacting social vulnerability and household resilience events. Researchers rarely empirically assess connection between resilience, are highly related concepts. By measuri...

drought is a gradual phenomenon and cause important changes in water resources, agriculture and so on. due to the stochastic behavior of factors that influence the occurrence and intense of drought, one can consider this phenomenon as a stochastic process. with respect to the importance of predicted drought severity and its vital influence in designing and operating water resources systems, thi...

We examine the long-term impacts of drought on local labor markets in Brazil. Using rainfall data going back over a century, we build contemporaneous and historical drought indices for more than 3,000 local areas, and examine them in conjunction with five waves of population census data spanning 1970−2010. Results from a differencein-differences design reveal that increased drought frequency in...

It is increasingly apparent that the future of the Amazon rainforest is under threat from both climate change and agricultural practices. Here we use a 13-year time series of (A)ATSR derived aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements to examine the role of aerosols in the interaction between deforestation, biomass burning and drought over the Amazon. The seasonal cycle of AOD shows peaks in Septe...