A High-Temperature Risk Assessment Model for Maize Based on MODIS LST

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

In my opinion, the article is interesting and has applicative benefits, although it is of regional character. The structure of the paper is transparent and legible. The adopted methodology was appropriate for the implementation of the stated objective. The largest drawback of the paper is lack of reference to other studies concerning the discussed issue. I recommend printing the paper after considering the following comments.

Fig. 1. Figure too general. It is necessary to present forms of cover of the discussed area. No scale.

Line 145- Why is 2002 omitted in the paper?

Lack of reference to the paper is particularly surprising:

Spatial distribution of high temperature risk on summer maize in Huang-huai-hai Plain based on MODIS data, 2018, Nongye Gongcheng Xuebao.

Please provide it.

The discussion chapter is unproportionately short in comparison to the remaining ones. Suggested papers:

Drought indices based on MODIS data compared over a maize-growing season in Songliao Plain, China, 2018 Journal of Applied Remote Sensing MODIS satellite data coupled with a vegetation process model for mapping maize yield in the Northeast China, 2013, Communications in Computer and Information Science Dissecting the nonlinear response of maize yield to high temperature stress with model‐data integration, 2019, Global Change Biology

There are of course more papers of the type. I encourage further literature review.

Please specify how the obtained results would be provided to farmers and agricultural departments making decisions on crop distribution. I do not believe they analyse the latest scientific publications. Moreover, it is a double problem. If corn is abundantly cultivated in the analysed region, what would it be replaced with at the moment of elimination of the plant due to the risk of occurrence of high temperatures?

 

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

I ask the authors to revise the paper one more time.  Looks like it is submitted in a rush. Make sure the flow of the paper is as intended. Discussion section needs major work.

 

The authors need to identify cropland used for maize production. A composite image for reference would be critical in this study. The study needs to address some of the factors influencing the LST. They fail to acknowledge the effect of elevation and proximity to water bodies. The study could be of importance to any other summer crop, annuals or perennials, the reason why the focus is on maize is not clear. The authors need to provide data on existing weather station as the whole premise of the study is dependent on sparse weather loggers. A map showing density and distribution of current weather station would be needed for clarity.

Some other things that need to be looked at:

Line 32: Remove "for the promotion and sustainable production of maize varieties in the Huang-Huai-Hai area."

Line 39: Change very high temperatures to high temperatures

Line 41: "area has suffered", what kind of suffering is it? Clarify

Line 46: Remove sentence starting with "Accurate agricultural........" The sentence is too vague and is not relevant to the study.

Line 55- 59: This goes in methodology section

Line 70: "Therefore, the assessment....." you stated that incorrect. That is the most correct form for data validation, either reword it well or delete the sentence.

Line 75: define split-window

Line 77: what other conditions, elaborate please.

Line 89 delete "remote sensing.....such as"

Line 96 provide references

Line 99 provide methods name

Line 102 delete the sentence

Line 124 Rewrite the sentence

Line 131: per year or per growing season?

LINE 137: provide full form for MYD11A1

Fig 1: Show a composite map where maize was grown in the area, color code provinces with different color so that it is easy to follow the discussion later on.

Line 142: you mean grain filling period?

Line 149: improper sentence construct

Line 155: provide reference

Line 160: provide URL to download the data

Line 166: how pixel alignment was done between the MODIS and land use data, explain.

for the equation, the scale factor, did you formulate the equation or did you get from any paper? if cite please

Line 179: Make a flowchart to explain your procedure

Line 197: what is the unit of SDTM?

A lot of rewriting is needed for Methodology section, it is very confusing and distracting to read.

Fig 2: What are the units of your DEM? Also use a difference coloring scheme for your SDTM

Line 213-219; Fig 2: I have no idea where these regions are. Please classify provinces with specific color code for high and low temperature risk. And also label the provinces that are of your interest.

Line 303: Discussion is short. Please rewrite your results too. There is no comparision to refute or complement existing literature. How does your results compare to others?

Need a major rewriting on your manuscript.

 

Line 326: What do you mean by unbalnced data?

Line 336-
What are the problems and what are the possible or recommended precautions, sentence is very vague and doesn't contribute much in its current form.

Line 346:
Remove Patents

 

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Authors must take care of punctuation - in many places in the text are missing dots on the end of a sentence. The article lacks data on the uncertainty of the temperature measurement, which was used by the authors. A wider debate on the accuracy of the proposed high-temperature risk assessment method should carry out.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The paper has been improved and can be accepted in its current form.