Wheat Phenology and Yield in a Mediterranean Scenario of Climate Change

​Wheat is a crucial crop for food and nutritional security worldwide, but it has special importance in the Mediterranean basinWheat is a crucial crop for food and nutritional security worldwide, but it has special importance in the Mediterranean basin. Nowadays, the wheat crop is facing significant challenges due to climate change; modification in the rainfall patterns or temperature increases are boosting the probability of yield production gaps. In this study, we evaluated the effect of winter and spring rainfall, as well as minimum and maximum temperature in these two seasons and sowing date, on multiple composes of wheat yield in the Mediterranean area. Low winter rainfall (<100 mm) together with a late sowing date (later than December 31) was described as the factor decreasing to a greater extent, wheat grain yield, yielding any tested genotype less than 4200 kg ha−1. Similarly, sowing date and its interaction with minimum winter temperature decrease TGW (Thousand Grain Weight). Protein content seemed to be more influenced by crop management than by climatic conditions; even when late sowing in cold winters or rainy winters can help to achieve higher grain protein content, close to 80% of the protein data ranged between 11 and 17%. The sowing date correlates negatively with days to heading (DTH), implying that the later the sowing date, the shorter the DTH period.