Development of Climate Exposure Indicators for Italian Ryegrass ClimateImpact Vulnerability Assessment

Abstract

This study aimed to improve and refine climate exposure indicators developed in a previous study by incorporating and analyzingtwo years of Italian ryegrass field trial data from the Jinju and Jangheung regions. The objective was to evaluate the relationshipsbetween productivity and climatic factors. The field trial results demonstrated that plant height, fresh yield, and dry matter yield ofItalian ryegrass was significantly higher in 2018–2019 than in 2017–2018. Precipitation and temperature during the winter and springseasons of 2018–2019 were also greater than those recorded in 2017–2018. Correlation analyses revealed significant positiveassociations between productivity and precipitation in Oct, Dec, Feb, and Mar. Productivity was also positively correlated with meantemperature and mean minimum temperature in Oct, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, and Apr, as well as with growing degree days in Oct, Dec,Jan, Feb, and Mar. The climate exposure indicators derived in this study are expected to serve as valuable tools for predicting Italianryegrass productivity and assessing vulnerability to climate impacts. Nevertheless, considering the complex interactions betweenclimatic factors and field conditions, further refinement through additional experiments and analyses remains necessary.