Investigation the effect of climate change on sugarcane growing season and water requirement under RCP scenarios

Water and food security are the key challenges under climate change as both are highly affected by continuously changing climatic patterns. In this study, attempts have been made to investigate the effects of climate change on length of growing season and water use of sugarcane under RCP scenarios in 4 stations of Khuzestan province, southwest of Iran, namely Abadan, Ahvaz, Bostan and Dezful. The outputs of EC-EARTH global climate model data which were dynamically downscaled by Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) under RCP 8.5 and 4.5 scenarios were used as future projections. The climatic observed data of 4 study stations were collected and used to calibrate the model downscaled outputs. The changes of precipitation, crop evapotranspiration and length of growing period of sugarcane were worked out. The results showed that except for Dezful station, growing season rainfall would increase comparing to climatic normal. Besides, the length of growing season under RCP8.5 scenario would decrease significantly in all stations. Future trend of evapotranspiration changes were non-significant and less than 5%