By Hong Kong
Global climate change is reshaping agricultural ecosystems. As warmer winters become more prevalent, snow droughts caused by insufficient snowfall are becoming more frequent. This leaves winter wheat, which relies on snow cover for insulation and water supply, vulnerable to low-temperature frost damage and water stress, posing a major threat to global food security.
A research team from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has utilized innovative explainable machine learning to uncover the persistent and significant negative impact of snow droughts on winter wheat yields, highlighting that global food security is facing unprecedented challenges.
This breakthrough study provides key scientific evidence for building climate-resilient agriculture, ensuring food security and promoting sustainable development.
Led by Prof. Shuo Wang, Associate Professor of the PolyU Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, a core member of the Research Institute for Land and Space, and a member of the State Key Laboratory of Climate Resilience for Coastal Cities, the study was conducted in collaboration with scholars from the University of Hong Kong and the University of California, Irvine.
Snow droughts rising across croplands
Over the past 60 years, the frequency of snow droughts across the Northern Hemisphere's winter wheat croplands has increased significantly. The proportion of croplands affected by snow drought surged from 46–54% in 1960–1970 to 70–99% in 2010–2020, reflecting the fact that snow droughts have evolved from a localized risk into a widespread phenomenon.
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