Prediction of Crop Yields under a Changing Climate

The impact of increasing climate variability on crop yield is now evident. Predicting the potential effects of climate change on crops prompts the use of statistical models to measure how the crop responds to climate variables. This chapter examines the usage of regression analysis in predicting crop yield under a changing climate. Data quality control is explained and application of descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and contingency tables discussed. Methodological aspects of crop yield modeling and prediction using climate variables are described. Estimation of yield via a multilinear regression approach is outlined and an overview of statistical model verification introduced. The study recommends the usage of regression models in estimating crop yield in consideration of many other externalities that can contribute to yield change