Impact of Extreme Weather Affecting Silage Corn (Zea mays L.) Yield in Central Inland Regions of Korea: Yield Damage and Relative Contribution
This study was conducted with the aim of confirming the impact and relative contribution of extreme weather to dry matter yield (DMY) of silage corn in the central inland region of Korea. The corn data (n=1,812) were obtained from various reports on the new variety of adaptability experiments conducted by the Rural Development Administration from 1978 to 2017. As for the weather variables, mean aerial temperature, accumulated precipitation, maximum wind speed, and sunshine duration, were collected from the Korean Meteorological Administration. The extreme weather was detected by the box plot, the DMY comparison was carried out by the t-test with a 5% significance level, and the relative contribution was estimated by R2 change in multiple regression modeling. The DMY of silage corn was reduced predominantly during the monsoon in summer and autumn, with DMY damage measuring 1,500-2,500 kg/ha and 1,800 kg/ha, respectively. Moreover, the relative contribution of the damage during the monsoons in summer and autumn was 40% and 60%, respectively. Therefore, the impact of autumn monsoon season should be taken into consideration when harvesting silage corn after late August. This study evaluated the effect of extreme weather on the yield damage of silage corn in Korea and estimated the relative contribution of this damage for the first time.