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Sixteen progeny lines of common beans obtained from single crosses made between two parents, GLP2 and KAT B1, were grown in randomized complete block design in a rainout shelter at the Agricultural and Mechanization Research Institute, Machakos, Kenya. The experiment was conducted to study inheritance of traits associated with drought stress adaptation and to establish if significant variation for those traits was existing in order to carry out selection for drought tolerance. The calculated mean values were used to estimate heritability, genetic advance, and correlation study for each trait. Water stress had a significant (p≤0.01) effect on the number of pods per plant, grains per plant, 100-seed weight, and yield per plant. The highest values for genotypic coefficient of variation (36.11%) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (36.70%) were recorded for pods plant-1 under stress condition. Highest broad-sense heritability estimates (96.54%, 94.97%, and 93.16%) coupled with high genetic advance as percent of the mean (22.32%, 34.97%, and 26.32%) were obtained for the number of pods plant−1, days to maturity, and yield plant−1, respectively, showing that selection of these traits together could lead to yield improvement under stressed conditions. Harvest index showed a significant and positive relationship with biomass aboveground (r=0.86) and the number of pods plant−1 (r=0.86) indicating the possibility of identifying high performing lines of common beans for drought stress environment for further studies on these traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guizhou Province, China, experienced several severe drought events over the period from 1960 to 2013, causing great economic loss and intractable conflicts over water. In this study, the spatial and temporal characteristics of droughts are analyzed with the standard precipitation index (SPI), comprehensive meteorological drought index (CI), and reconnaissance drought index (RDI). Meanwhile, historical drought records are used to test the performance of each index at identifying droughts. All three indices show decreasing annual and autumn trends, with the latter particularly prominent. 29, 30, and 32 drought events were identified during 1960–2013 by the SPI, CI, and RDI, respectively. Continuous drought is more frequent in winter–spring and summer–autumn. There is a significant increasing trend in drought event frequency, peak, and strength since the start of the 21st century. Drought duration indicated by CI shows longer durations in the higher-elevation region of central and western Guizhou. The corresponding drought severity is high in these regions. SPI and RDI indicate longer drought durations in the lower elevation central and eastern regions of Guizhou Province, where the corresponding drought severity is also very strong. SPI shows an increasing trend in drought duration and drought severity across most of the regions of Guizhou. In general, SPI and RDI show an increasing trend in the western Guizhou Province and a decreasing trend in central and eastern Guizhou. Comparing these three drought indices with historical records, the RDI is found to be more objective and reliable than the SPI and CI when identifying the periods of drought in Guizhou. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monthly accumulated precipitation and monthly average temperature of 117 meteorological stations in Song-Liao River Basin (SLRB) were used to calculate the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Indices (SPEI) to analyze the drought characteristics, including long-term trends, drought affected area, climate abrupt change, intensive drought occurrence regions, and drought durations during 1964–2013 with the support of GIS. The Area Drought Severity (ADS), a comprehensive index, is proposed to assess both the variations of drought degree and the extent of the drought affected area. The results revealed that (1) the drought happening probability and degree are rising and the affected areas of all degrees of drought have an increasing trend during the last 50 years; (2) there is a climate abrupt change which occurred in around 1994, and the area with declining SPEI is larger than that with declining SPI, which could be due to the rising temperature after the climate abrupt change; (3) all degrees of drought occurrence probability increased, and the intensive drought occurrence regions altered from the northern SLRB to the southwestern SLRB after the climate abrupt change; (4) the drought duration increased from 1994, and the increased drought durations occurred in most parts of SLRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These days human beings are facing many environmental challenges due to frequently occurring drought hazards. It may have an effect on the country’s environment, the community, and industries. Several adverse impacts of drought hazard are continued in Pakistan, including other hazards. However, early measurement and detection of drought can provide guidance to water resources management for employing drought mitigation policies. In this paper, we used a multilayer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) algorithm for drought forecasting. We applied and tested MLPNN algorithm on monthly time series data of Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) for seventeen climatological stations located in Northern Area and KPK (Pakistan). We found that MLPNN has potential capability for SPEI drought forecasting based on performance measures (i.e., Mean Average Error (MAE), the coefficient of correlation (R), and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE)). Water resources and management planner can take necessary action in advance (e.g., in water scarcity areas) by using MLPNN model as part of their decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) analysis was conducted using monthly precipitation data and temperature data on a 12.5 km × 12.5 km resolution based on a Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 8.5 climate change scenario, and the characteristics of drought were identified by the threshold. In addition, the changes in drought severity and intensity were projected using the threshold based on the run-length concept and frequency analysis. As a result of the analysis, the probability density function of the total drought and maximum drought intensity moved the upper tail for the upcoming years, and the average drought intensity was also projected to become stronger in the future than in the present to the right side. Through this, it could be projected that the drought scale and frequency and the drought intensity will become severer over South Korea because of future climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of climate change, the monthly accumulated precipitation and monthly averaged temperature of 47 meteorological stations in and around Haihe River Basin (HRB) were analyzed using Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Indices (SPEI) to obtain the temporal variability and spatial distribution of different drought levels during the last 50 years with the support of GIS. The results show that (1) from 1961 to 2010 the drought frequency and degree in annual and seasonal scale are rising and the affecting areas of all degrees of drought have a temporal variability of increasing trend. The ratios that the influencing area of drought, light drought, moderate drought, severe drought, and extreme drought account for the whole HRB area are increasing with gradients of 0.64%/a, 0.18%/a, 0.31%/a, 0.14%/a, and 0.01%/a, respectively, and (2) there is a climate break point which occurred in 1990; after the comparison of the drought happening probability between 1961 and 1990 and between 1991 and 2010, all degrees of drought occurrence probability have a remarkable rising trend, and the drought concentrating regions moved from the north HRB to the central HRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 2010 summer, a severe drought impacted Western Russia, including regions surrounding Moscow and Belgorod (about 700 km south of Moscow). The drought was accompanied by high temperatures. Moscow recorded 37.8°C (100°F) for the first time in over 130 years of record keeping. The record heat, high humidity, dry weather, and smoke from forest fires caused increased human mortality rates in the Moscow region during the summer. The excessive heat and humidity in Western Russia were the result of atmospheric blocking from June through mid-August. The NCAR-NCEP reanalyses were used to examine blocking in the Eastern European and Western Russia sector during the spring and summer seasons from 1970 to 2012. We found that drier years were correlated with stronger and more persistent blocking during the spring and summer seasons. During these years, the Moscow region was drier in the summer and Belgorod during the spring seasons. In the Moscow region, the drier summers were correlated with transitions from El Niño to La Niña, but the opposite was true in the Belgorod region. Synoptic flow regimes were then analyzed and support the contention that dry years are associated with more blocking and El Niño transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates seasonal forecasts of rainfall and maximum temperature across the Ethiopian highlands from coupled ensemble models in the period 1981-2006, by comparison with gridded observational products (NMA + GPCC/CRU3). Early season forecasts from the coupled forecast system (CFS) are steadier than European community medium range forecast (ECMWF). CFS and ECMWF April forecasts of June-August (JJA) rainfall achieve significant fit (r ² = 0.27, 0.25, resp.), but ECMWF forecasts tend to have a narrow range with drought underpredicted. Early season forecasts of JJA maximum temperature are weak in both models; hence ability to predict water resource gains may be better than losses. One aim of seasonal climate forecasting is to ensure that crop yields keep pace with Ethiopia's growing population. Farmers using prediction technology are better informed to avoid risk in dry years and generate surplus in wet years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shandong province is located in the northern part of China and tends to be a drought-prone region. This study is dedicated to making a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of the spatial patterns of drought frequency and its climate trend coefficient, drought grades, and temporal characteristics of drought coverage area, drought duration, and drought intensity from 1961 to 2008 by using the meteorological drought composite index (CI). The results indicated that the occurrence frequency of meteorological drought in Shandong province was generally high and some part of this region such as Jiaodong peninsula had suffered drought pressure with an evident ascending trend. The drought extent and influence were very severe in 1980s and 1990s but very slight in 1964; large-area drought mainly occurred after the 1970s and the yearly and seasonally interdecadal drought duration both showed a fluctuation of 10a periodic cycle approximately. Furthermore, the slight drought mainly appeared in the northwest and southwest while the other grades of drought exhibited much significant spatial and temporal variability. Besides, drought in spring was more serious than that in winter. This study is anticipated to support the mitigation of drought hazards and to improve the management practices of environment system in Shandong province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of global warming, deep understanding for drought-related index is important. The spatial distributions and trends in annual mean (AM) climatic data, including PAM, EToAM, and DIAM in Xinjiang, China, were analyzed. Statistical downscaling model (SDSM) was applied. Future PAM, EToAM, and DIAM series were generated and used to analyze their temporal trends, along with the historical climatic data. The results showed that (1) over 1960-2010, DIAM varied greatly and ranged from 1.5 to 479.6. Trends in DIAM decreased significantly. The regional climate turned to be from arid to humid in the past; (2) over 2015-2099, DIam ranged between 1.9 and 198.5 under A2 scenario and 1.6 and 130.4 under B2 scenario. Trends in DIWR decreased insignificantly under A2 scenario and significantly under B2 scenario, indicating a weak drought stress from the future climate; (3) the modified Mann-Kendal (MKK) test generally decreased the significance of the trends because it considered the limitation of serial autocorrelation. Robust trend test of MMK method was recommended considering its rigor property. In conclusion, the drought in Xinjiang tends to be relieved over 2015-2099 compared to 1960-2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought, salinity and extreme temperatures significantly limit the distribution of grapes around the world. In this review, the literature of grape responses to abiotic stress with particular reference to whole plant and molecular responses observed in recent studies is discussed. A number of short-term and long-term studies on grapevine shoots and berries have been conducted using a systems biology approach. Transcripts, proteins and metabolites were profiled. Water deficit, salinity and chilling altered the steady-state abundance of a large number of transcripts. Common responses to these stresses included changes in hormone metabolism, particularly abscisic acid (ABA), photosynthesis, growth, transcription, protein synthesis, signalling and cellular defences. Some of the transcriptional changes induced by stress were confirmed by proteomic and metabolomic analyses. More than 2000 genes were identified whose transcript abundance was altered by both water deficit and ABA. Different gene sets were used to map molecular pathways regulated by ABA, water deficit, salinity and chilling in grapevine. This work supports the hypothesis that ABA is a central regulator of abiotic stress tolerance mechanisms. ABA affects signalling pathways that trigger important molecular activities involving metabolism, transcription, protein synthesis, and cellular defence and also regulates important physiological responses such as stomatal conductance, photoprotection and growth. Systems biology approaches are providing more comprehensive understanding of the complex plant responses to abiotic stress. The molecular sets generated from mapping the ABA-inducible stress responses provide numerous targets for genetic and cultural manipulation for improved plant protection and grape quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]