Spatiotemporal Variation of Single-Season Rice Phenology in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China, During 1991–2010

Studying the spatiotemporal changes in crop phenology across the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China, is important to understand how crops adapt to climate changes. Here, the single-season rice crop phenology at 27 national agro-meteorological experimental stations during 1991–2010 was examined. The sowing, emerging, tillering and maturity dates were delayed in 11, 13, 13 and 23 stations respectively, from the set of 27 studied stations. Additionally, the length of growth duration (GD) and the period from tillering to maturity (TTM) were elongated in 18 and 16 stations respectively. The tendency of TTM is similar with that of the GD. In-depth comparative analyses of the impact of climate changes were conducted between stations in the south of the reservoir. Correlation between the GD days and precipitation was occasionally found in Lichuan (R² = 0.43) and Yuqing (R² = 0.57). The results are of great significance to formulate national and regional socio-economic development plans and agricultural product import and export plans, and to guide and regulate macro-planting structures.