From 1980 to 2009, farmers faced an ever-increasing chance of having to deal with a growing season that was too hot and dry for their crops, according to a new study published in Scientific Reports from an international team led by researchers at Aalto University. Wheat growers saw the biggest change, with the chance of extreme heat and drought during the growing season increasing sixfold over the study period. The risk for maize, rice, and soybean doubled—a smaller increase, but nevertheless considerable.
