Experiment study of winter wheat growth and yield response to climate warming

In order to explore and validate the impact of further climate warming on winter wheat growth and yield, and to obtain basic features of winter wheat’s response to temperature increase, the experiments with temperature increase on all day (TI) during the whole growing season of winter wheat were carried out by using the technique of Free Air Temperature Increase （FATI） in the field. The impacts of TI on yield, growth and water consumption of winter wheat were also analyzed. The results showed: (1) Compared with control treatment (CK), phenological phase of return green was earlier significantly in TI, and all phenological phases after wintering period were earlier more than 10 d. The duration of vegetative growth was increased, the duration from flowering to milky was prolonged, and the duration from milky to maturity was shortened in TI. In the relatively colder years, temperature increase could safeguard normal tiller and growth of winter wheat against low-temperature, and TI could significantly increase plant height, produce more panicles (by 24.7% than CK), and enhance grain yield. In relatively warmer years, TI caused the duration of spike differentiation extend, kernels per panicle increase, and 1000 grain weight decreased owing to heat injury in the late period of grain filling and yield. Besides, the water consumption of wheat increased. For winter wheat in north China, a certain level of warming in the winter and early spring would be beneficial to wheat production, but if the temperature increased is too high it might lead to adverse results. The temperature increase in spring and early summer would be disadvantageous to wheat production.