Table 1. Global summary for maize, rice, wheat, and soybean.
MAIZE | RICE | WHEAT | SOYBEAN | |
Mean yield change per year (% per year) | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.3 |
Mean yield change per year (kg/ha/year/year) | 84 | 40 | 27 | 31 |
Projected average yield in 2025 (tons/ha/year) | 6.5 | 4.9 | 3.4 | 3.0 |
Projected average yield in 2050 (tons/ha/year) | 8.6 | 5.9 | 4.1 | 3.8 |
Projected production in 2025 (million tons/year) at fixed crop harvested areas of 2008 | 1016 | 760 | 741 | 275 |
Projected production in 2050 (million tons/year) at fixed crop harvested areas of 2008 | 1343 | 915 | 891 | 347 |
Projected production shortfall in 2025, as compared to the rate that doubles production by 2050 (million tons/year) | 100 | 160 | 157 | 43 |
Projected production shortfall in 2050, as compared to the rate that doubles production by 2050 (million tons/year) | 247 | 394 | 388 | 107 |
Required extra land (million hectares) to produce the shortfall at 2025 projected yields | 15 | 33 | 46 | 14 |
Required extra land (million hectares) to produce the shortfall at 2050 projected yields | 29 | 67 | 95 | 28 |
Yield in the year 2008 (tons/ha/year) | 5.2 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 2.4 |
90 percent confidence limit in yield change (%/year) | 0.8–2.4 | 0.5–1.4 | 0.1–1.8 | 0.3–2.0 |
90 percent confidence limit in yield change (kg/ha/year/year) | 41–124 | 21–58 | 4–52 | 6–50 |
90 percent confidence limit in production in 2025 (million tons/year) at fixed crop harvested areas of 2008 | 848–1203 | 687–846 | 599–898 | 214–328 |
90 percent confidence limit in production in 2050 (million tons/year) at fixed crop harvested areas of 2008 | 1009–1686 | 769–1072 | 618–1182 | 228–442 |
As an example consider yields and production in 2025 – the short term – and numbers by 2050 due to current rates of yield change. See Supplementary Data file for yield change rates per country.