Agro-photovoltaic systems are of interest to the agricultural industry because they can produce both electricity and crops in the same farm field. In this study, we aimed to simulate staple crop yields under agro-photovoltaic panels (AVP) based on the calibration of crop models in the decision support system for agricultural technology (DSSAT) 4.6 package. We reproduced yield data of paddy rice, barley, and soybean grown in AVP experimental fields in Bosung and Naju, Chonnam Province, South Korea, using CERES-Rice, CERES-Barley, and CROPGRO-Soybean models. A geospatial crop simulation modeling (GCSM) system, developed using the crop models, was then applied to simulate the regional variations in crop yield according to solar radiation reduction scenarios. Simulated crop yields agreed with the corresponding measured crop yields with root mean squared errors of 0.29-ton ha⁻¹ for paddy rice, 0.46-ton ha⁻¹ for barley, and 0.31-ton ha⁻¹ for soybean, showing no significant differences according to paired sample t-tests. We also demonstrated that the GCSM system could effectively simulate spatiotemporal variations in crop yields due to the solar radiation reduction regimes. An additional advancement in the GCSM design could help prepare a sustainable adaption strategy and understand future food supply insecurity.

Planning for optimized farming with the aim of providing ideal site and cultivar selection is critical for a stable and sustainable supply of rice with sufficient quantity and quality to customers. In this study, a range of morphological characteristics and yield of eight rice cultivars that are commonly cultivated in Korea were investigated from 2005 to 2020. All morphological characteristics were significantly different among the eight rice cultivars. The dataset of morphological characteristics and yield was used to isolate groups of similar rice cultivars. The k-means clustering method was used to group the rice cultivars. Three groups (Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3) were created. Most cultivars were in Group 1. High-yielding rice cultivars were in Group 2, while the rice cultivars in Group 3 had the lowest rice grain yield. After grouping these rice cultivars, ideal farming locations for all three rice cultivar groups were identified to reduce transportation cost using an optimized location–allocation model. Simulation results suggested the following: (1) Group 1 should be produced in Jellanam-do (south west region), (2) Group 2 should be produced in Chungcheongnam-do (central west region), and (3) Group 3 should be mainly produced in the central west region of South Korea. Simulation results showed the potential to reduce transportation cost by around 0.014%. This can also reduce 21.04 tons of CO₂ emission from a freight truck. Because these eight cultivars only make up 19.76% of the total rice production in South Korea, the cost reduction proportion was only 0.014% of total revenue. In future studies, more rice cultivars should be investigated to increase the efficiency of the model performance.

As population rises, more people need to be fed. With increasing income, the potential exists for increases in the demand for cereals (i.e., barley). Since barley has a high level of tolerance to environmental stressors, this crop has been recommended as a potential crop for food security in...

According to numerous chamber and free-air CO₂ enrichment (FACE) studies with artificially raised CO₂ concentration and/or temperature, it appears that increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations ([CO₂]) stimulates crop yield. However, there is still controversy about the extent of the yield stimulation by elevating [CO₂] and concern regarding the potential adverse effects when temperature rises concomitantly. Here, we tested the effects of natural elevated [CO₂] (ca. 120 ppm above the ambient level in 100 years ago) and warming (ca. 1.7–3.2 °C above the ambient level 100 years ago) on rice growth and yield over three crop seasons via a past reference investigation and current experiment (PRICE) study. In 2020–2022, the rice cultivar Tamanishiki (Oryza sativa, ssp. japonica) was grown in Wagner’s pots (1/2000 a) at the experiment fields of Chonnam National University (35°10′ N, 126°53′ E), Gwangju, Korea, according to the pot trial methodology of the reference experiment conducted in 1920–1922. Elevated [CO₂] and temperature over the last 100 years significantly stimulated plant height (13.4% on average), tiller number (11.5%), and shoot biomass (10.8%). In addition, elevated [CO₂] and warming resulted in a marked acceleration of flowering phenology (6.8% or 5.1 days), potentially leading to adverse effects on tiller number and grain yield. While the harvest index exhibited a dramatic reduction (12.2%), grain yield remained unchanged with elevated [CO₂] and warming over the last century. The response of these crop parameters to elevated [CO₂] and warming was highly sensitive to sunshine duration during the period from transplanting to heading. Despite the pot-based observations, considering a piecewise response pattern of C₃ crop productivity to [CO₂] of <500 ppm, our observations demonstrate realistic responses of rice crops to elevated [CO₂] (+120 ppm) and moderate warming (+1.7–3.2 °C) in the absence of adaptation measures (e.g., cultivars and agronomic management practices). Hence, our results suggest that the PRICE platform may provide a promising way to better understand and forecast the net impact of climate change on major crops that have historical and experimental archived data, like rice, wheat, and soybean.

This study sought to simulate regional variation in staple crop yields in Chonnam Province, Republic of Korea (ROK), in future environments under climate change based on the calibration of crop models in the Decision Support System for Agricultural Technology Transfer 4.6 package. We reproduced multiple-year yield data for paddy rice (2013–2018), barley (2000–2018), and soybean (2004–2018) grown in experimental fields at Naju, Chonnam Province, using the CERES-Rice, CERES-Barley, and CROPGRO-Soybean models. A geospatial crop simulation modeling (GCSM) system developed using the crop models was then applied to simulate the regional impacts of climate change on the staple crops according to the Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. Simulated crop yields agreed with the corresponding measured crop yields, with root means square deviations of 0.31 ton ha⁻¹ for paddy rice, 0.29 ton ha⁻¹ for barley, and 0.27 ton ha⁻¹ for soybean. We also demonstrated that the GCSM system could effectively simulate spatiotemporal variations in the impact of climate change on staple crop yield. The CERES and CROPGRO models seem to reproduce the effects of climate change on region-wide staple crop production in a monsoonal climate system. Added advancements of the GCSM system could facilitate interpretations of future food resource insecurity and establish a sustainable adaption strategy.