Unraveling the Interplay: Intensive Solar Radiation Amplifies Maize Yield Reduction Under Dry‐Heat Stress

Abstract Under global brightening and warming, how intense solar radiation amplifies crop stress via photoinhibition remains poorly understood. Using data from 905 counties in China (1992–2018), we reveal that a 1% increase in dry‐heat‐intensive radiation (DHR) frequency reduces summer and spring maize yields by 0.36 ± 0.12% and 1.26 ± 0.48%, surpassing declines from other extreme events. High‐frequency DHR events depend on strong temperature‐VPD (>0.6) and temperature‐solar radiation coupling (>0.5). Due to projected increases in DHR frequency, 2021–2050 maize production is expected to change by −4,151 ± 1,472t to −80 ± 28t for summer maize and −1,938 ± 681t to 1,787 ± 620t for spring maize under SSP1‐2.6, with similar trends under SSP5‐8.5. Although increased precipitation and radiation partially offset losses, the warming effect largely negates these benefits, resulting in production declines of 1.55% for summer maize and 9.35% for spring maize. This study highlights the overlooked role of photoinhibition in yield loss and underscores the urgency of mitigating DHR risks to safeguard agricultural production under climate change.