ABSTRACT
The unifying model consists of three components: the atmospheric, agronomic, and economic components. The output of the atmospheric component includes daily values for minimum and maximum temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation. These three outputs become inputs in the agronomic component. The chapter outlines major features of each component of the unifying model and their interactions. It presents preliminary results for one location and some climate-change scenarios. The atmospheric component, which is a stochastic weather generator, is used to generate the three climatic variables that influence crop yields, field time, and grain moisture. Several changed climate scenarios are generated to determine a wide range of potential crop and economic responses. The typical assumption that the same crops will be grown in the same places in the same ways is a serious limitation for examining gradual climate-change impacts on agriculture. While the climate is gradually warming, the accompanying increase in precipitation prevents the crops from experiencing water stress for the simulation period.
