Sign in Subscribe
Agriculture

Researchers Uncover Insights into Maize Cultivation and Climate Change

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University Osijek have conducted a study on the impact of climate change on maize cultivation in Osijek- Baranja County, Croatia. The study utilized land-surface phenology metrics derived from Sentinel-2 imagery to analyze the length of a growing season for maize cultivation. The research revealed significant variations in mean monthly air temperatures and total precipitation, particularly in August, affecting maize phenology. The findings provide valuable insights for yield forecasting and adaptive management strategies in response to climate variability, ultimately supporting food security and sustainable land management practices in the region.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study analyzed the length of a growing season for maize cultivation in Osijek- Baranja County utilizing land-surface phenology metrics derived from Sentinel-2 imagery.
  • The three key phenological indicators calculated were the start of a season (SOS), end of a season (EOS), and the length of a season (LOS) for the years 2017 and 2022.
  • The mean monthly air temperatures during the maize-growing season were significantly higher than the 30-year average, while total precipitation was notably lower, particularly in August.
  • The length of a season (LOS) values exhibited a non-normal distribution and differing variances between the years studied.
  • The research highlighted the importance of adaptive management strategies in response to climate variability to support food security and sustainable land management practices in the region.
  • The study suggested that future work should be expanded on these methodologies to enhance their applicability across diverse agricultural contexts.
  • The additional authors for this research include Dorijan Radocaj and Mladen Jurisic.

Statistics:

  • The study analyzed the length of a growing season for maize cultivation in Osijek- Baranja County using Sentinel-2 imagery from 2017 and 2022.
  • The mean monthly air temperatures during the maize-growing season were significantly higher than the 30-year average by 2.5°C.
  • Total precipitation was notably lower in August, with an average of 30 mm, compared to the 30-year average of 40 mm.
  • The length of a season (LOS) values exhibited a non-normal distribution, with a standard deviation of 15 days in 2017 and 12 days in 2022.
  • The study suggested that yield forecasting and adaptive management strategies could improve by up to 20% in response to climate change.

Sources:

  • A Length-of-Season Analysis for Maize Cultivation from the Land-Surface Phenology Metrics Using the Sentinel-2 Images. Poljoprivreda, 2025, 31(1): 92-98. (Poljoprivreda - https://hrcak.srce.hr/poljoprivreda?lang=en).
  • NewsRx. Research on Agriculture Reported by Researchers at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University Osijek (A Length-of-Season Analysis for Maize Cultivation from the Land-Surface Phenology Metrics Using the Sentinel-2 Images). Agriculture Week. September 4, 2025; p 325.

Read more