Climate change impacts on Allium crop production: Insights from long-term observations in South Korea

Climate change is an imminent threat, particularly affecting agricultural productivity, which relies heavily on weather conditions. Understanding the specific impacts of climate change on key crops is crucial for developing effective adaptation strategies to ensure food security. The growth patterns of onions and garlic were observed at over ten different locations in South Korea, and the yield data from the past 40 years were analyzed. The yield was significantly correlated with temperature and strongly affected by the frequent and unexpected patterns of precipitation. The increase in mean temperature during winter and the spatial and temporal concentration of precipitation are expected to be the most influential factors for Allium crop production in the future. In addition, the yields of onions and garlic can serve as good indicators for predicting the impacts of weather on agricultural productivity, given their extended cultivation periods and significant correlations with temperature and precipitation. As climate change scenarios become available, the results of this study can serve as a basis for predicting changes in agricultural production in the future and identifying opportunities to adapt cultivation systems for food security.