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- Abstract：To address climate warming and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events， this study aimed to design and optimize cropping patterns for agricultural production in agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China. Based on long-term field trial data on 11 crop rotation patterns for 4 crops in Zhangbei County， Hebei Province， the APSIM model （Agricultural production systems simulator）， which had been calibrated and validated， was employed to simulate the yields of 228 crop rotation patterns under 8 climate scenarios （3 warming scenarios， 3 extreme precipitation scenarios， and 2 coupled scenarios of warming and extreme precipitation） in the region. Subsequently， the production capacity， ecological， and economic benefits of different crop rotation patterns were compared and analyzed through life cycle assessment， carbon footprint assessment， and input-output methods analysis. The results indicated that rising temperatures reduced the average 10 years total energy equivalent yield， average 10 years total comprehensive income， and average soil carbon sequestration across 228 crop rotation patterns， with respective reductions of 9.85%‑38.02%， 13.61%‑54.99%， 26.25%‑85.08%. In contrast， rising temperatures increased the average 10 years total net carbon emissions of 228 crop rotation patterns by 51.19%‑165.89%. Under the scenarios of temperature rise coupled with extreme precipitation， the faba bean-oat rotation pattern had the highest 10 years total energy equivalent yield， the potato-faba bean rotation pattern had the lowest 10 years total net carbon emissions， and the faba bean-potato rotation pattern had the highest 10 years total comprehensive income. However， with the increase in extreme precipitation intensity， the yield increasing， income increasing， and emission reduction capabilities of the 228 crop rotation patterns all decreased. The findings of this study provide scientific basis for formulating multi-objective and coordinated diversified cropping strategies in agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China， ensuring food security under climate change and promoting sustainable agricultural development.Keywords：extreme climate changes;low-yield fields;diversified crop rotation patterns;APSIM model;multi-objective demands125|33|1<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To investigate the effects of different tillage practices and organic fertilizer application on soil organic carbon， active carbon components， and crop yield， a field experiment was conducted from 2022 to 2023. Split-plot design was adopted. Four treatments deep tillage （D）， deep tillage with organic fertilizer （DM）， rotary tillage （R）， and rotary tillage with organic fertilizer （RM） were set by taking rotary tillage （R） as the control. The impacts of tillage practices and organic fertilizer application on soil organic carbon （SOC）， its active components， carbon-related enzyme activities， soil carbon pool management index （CPMI）， and crop yield were examined. The results showed that： 1） Tillage practices and organic fertilizer application significantly influenced the soil organic carbon pool. Deep tillage significantly increased the SOC and active carbon components compared with rotary tillage， while organic fertilizer application significantly enhanced the SOC and active carbon fraction contents compared with non-application （P<0.05）. The SOC content under the deep tillage with organic fertilizer treatment was significantly higher than that under other treatments， which was significantly increased by 10.18% compared with the control （P<0.05）. 2） Tillage practices and organic fertilizer application significantly affected soil carbon-related enzyme activities. Deep tillage significantly increased soil carbon-related enzyme activities compared with rotary tillage， and organic fertilizer application significantly enhanced these activities compared with non-application （P<0.05）. The soil catalase （S-CAT） activity in the >20-40 cm soil layer under the deep tillage with organic fertilizer treatment was significantly higher than that under other treatments， significantly increased by 15.40% compared with the control （P<0.05）. 3） Tillage practices and organic fertilizer application significantly influenced the annual yield of the wheat-maize double-cropping system and CPMI （P<0.05）. The deep tillage with organic fertilizer treatment exhibited significantly higher values in both parameters compared with other treatments. The annual yield under deep tillage with organic fertilizer increased by 9.40% compared with the control， while the CPMI increased by 28.50% （P<0.05）. 4） SOC and its active fractions， carbon-related enzyme activities， and CPMI were significantly positively correlated with the annual yield of the wheat-maize double-cropping system （P<0.05）. Carbon-related enzyme activities showed highly significant positive correlations with SOC and its active fractions （P<0.01）， and CPMI was highly significantly positively correlated with carbon-related enzyme activities， SOC and its active fractions （P<0.01）. In conclusion， deep tillage combined with organic fertilizer application can stimulate soil carbon-related enzyme activities， promote the accumulation of soil-active carbon and organic carbon， and enhance the carbon pool management index， thereby achieving the dual goals of increasing carbon sequestration and crop yields.Keywords：tillage practices;organic manure;soil organic carbon;yield;carbon pool management index113|34|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：The Northwest region of China serves as a crucial ecological barrier and a significant production base for grains and specialty agricultural products. Developing farming systems of the Northwest region of China is important for ensuring national food security， promoting sustainable agricultural development， and high-quality transformation. This article systematically reviews the current state of farming systems in the Northwest of China， with eaqual emphasis on planting and animal husbandary. This study also delves into the multifaceted challenges facing the development of agricultural systems in Northwest China， including fragile ecosystems， co-existing water scarcity and wastage， evolving demands for agricultural products， conflicts between economic interests and environmental sustainability， a lack of awareness and innovation capabilities of modern agricultural technologies among stakeholders， weakened number and structure of the agricultural workforce， and the combination of drought and poverty. Simultaneously， the opportunities for the development of farming systems in the northwest China were systematically analyzed from the aspects of national agricultural modernization strategies， innovation-driven scientific advancements， the potential for natural resource development， and the advantages of existing specialized farming systems. Furthermore， typical practical cases of water-saving farming system， protective farming system， multi cropping farming system， facility farming system， large-scale commercial farming systems， integrated fruit-grain/fruit-economic crops/fruit-green manure systems， and agro-pastoral circular production systems in the northwest region were comprehensively summarized. In the future， the farming systems in the northwest region will evolve towards water-efficient， eco-friendly， high-quality， smart agriculture， and industrial integration. Agricultural modernization and sustainable development should be driven by promoting the application of water-saving irrigation technology， developing eco-circular agriculture， building characteristic agricultural brands， applying modern information technology， and accelerating the deep integration of agriculture with secondary and tertiary industries.Keywords：northwest region;farming system;development status;typical instance;agricultural modernization55|36|1<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To promote the high-quality development of agricultural production systems in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River， based on the statistical yearbook data of 2013 and 2024， a systematic analysis was conducted on the current situation， core issues and challenges of the regional farming system， and corresponding development strategies were proposed. The results showed that： 1） In 2023， the total agricultural output value of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River accounted for 25.8% of the China’s total production， 52.3% of national rice production， 42.3% of the national fishery production. 2） The largest contributions to the increase in grain， livestock products and aquatic products came from wheat， poultry and freshwater shrimp and crab farming， respectively. 3） In response to issues such as the reduction in the area of double-cropping rice， poor returns from grain production， high construction costs for high-standard farmland， frequent meteorological disasters， and increasing pressure on resources and the environment， development countermeasures such as optimizing crop structure， building high-standard farmland， developing crop-livestock circular agriculture， and strengthening policy support are proposed. These measures aim to provide theoretical support for the improvement of regional agricultural comprehensive productivity and high-quality development.Keywords：farming;animal husbandry;fishery;paddy field;integrated crop-livestock systems;circular agriculture31|23|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：Southwest China is an important grain-producing region， due to its complex climatic and ecological conditions， Southwest China has formed a distinctive multi-cropping farming system. This study aims to fully understand the basic situation of the agricultural region in Southwest China and the existing farming system， and accelerate the establishment of a modern and novel farming system. Documentary research and inductive analysis are employed to examine the regional division of farming systems， typical farming models， and limiting factors for agricultural development based on long-term experimental demonstrations and practical production examples from relevant research institutions，and prospects for future development are explored. The findings indicate that： 1） Southwest China can be divided into four agricultural zones：Hilly of basin agricultural region， plateau agricultural region， Karst mountainous agricultural region， and plain of basin agricultural region. Each zone has a distinct natural and ecological condition to shape its unique farming system； 2） Six types of multi-cropping systems form the backbone of the region’s farming practices including paddy-upland rotation in rice fields， single-planting with multiple harvests in rice fields， strip intercropping in drylands， relay oil-grain rotation in drylands， crop-livestock recycling systems， and year-round multiple cropping in vegetable fields； 3） Key constraints on agricultural development include intense competition for land among crops， regional developmental disparities， and low mechanization levels in hilly and mountainous areas. In summary， the current farming systems in Southwest China are constrained by low levels of resource-use efficiency， weak resilience against extreme climate events， and insufficient industrial integration. Moving forward， farming-system design must be tailored to the region’s resource endowments and national priorities for food security and sustainable agriculture， accelerating the establishment of a modern， resource-efficient， eco-friendly， intensive， and industrially synergistic farming system.Keywords：Southwest China;farming systems;modernize;multiple cropping27|22|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：Northeast China serves as a pivotal region to ensure China’s food security， and its farming system is currently undergoing a critical transition from traditional practices to modern， intensive， and ecologically sustainable models. To comprehensively assess the primary challenges in the innovation of farming systems in Northeast China and propose viable innovation pathways， this study conducted a systematic literature review by taking “farming system” “black soil region of Northeast China” “climate change adaptation” “high-standard farmland”as keywords across databases including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs， China Meteorological Administration， and CNKI. Domestic and international publications from 2001 to 2025 related to the current state and challenges of farming systems in the region were retrieved. The data on crop acreage and yield were also retrieved from the National Bureau of Statistics. Based on the comprehensive analysis of the agricultural development foundation， historical evolution， and dominant farming systems in Northeast China， this study identifies key difficulties and challenges such as monotonous cropping systems and models， limited adoption of crop rotation practices； severe degradation of black soil and deteriorating ecological conditions； excessive water resource consumption coupled with growing scarcity； and high vulnerability to climate change with frequent extreme weather events in reforming the regional farming system. In response， this study proposes four innovation pathways： 1） establishing scientific zoning for farming systems to optimize cropping patterns and soil fertility management； 2） developing high-efficiency water-saving irrigation technologies and enhancing rainwater resource utilization capacity； 3） developing resource-conserving and breeding and strengthening disaster monitoring， early warning， and risk management； 4） leveraging smart technologies to modernize traditional grain production and bolstering high-quality farmland construction and appropriately scaled operations.Keywords：Northeast China;farming system;innovational path;food security54|22|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To explore the effects of conservation tillage on soil quality and maize yield in black soil farmland， a continuous 8-year field tillage positioning experiment was conducted. The study examined the impacts of conventional tillage （CT）， straw mulching with no-tillage （NTS）， straw mulching with subsoiling tillage （STS）， and straw incorporation with harrowing tillage （HTS） on the physical， chemical， and biological properties of the soil in the 0-40 cm layer， as well as on maize lodging resistance， yield， and its contributing factors. The results indicated that， compared with CT， NTS， STS， and HTS treatments significantly increased the field capacity， saturated moisture content， organic carbon， total nitrogen， total phosphorus， alkaline-hydrolyzable nitrogen， available phosphorus content， β-glucosidase， N-acetyl-glucosaminidase， lignin peroxidase， polyphenol oxidase activity， and microbial biomass nitrogen in the 0-40 cm soil layer （P<0.05）. Moreover， NTS and STS treatments significantly reduced soil bulk density and three-phase R value（P<0.05）， and enhanced the geometric mean diameter and microbial biomass phosphorus content. NTS， STS， and HTS all significantly improved the soil quality index in the 0-40 cm layer compared to CT（P<0.05）， with the first two enhancing it from the physical， chemical， and biological dimensions， while the latter primarily increased from two dimensions of soil chemistry and biology. Both STS and HTS significantly reduced spike height， increased stem thickness and bending strength， thereby improving the lodging resistance index of the stem compared to CT （P<0.05）. STS significantly increased 100 grain weight and maize yield in wet years compared to CT and NTS， with the interannual average maize yield improving by 7.10% to 11.86% compared to other treatments （P<0.05）. Correlation analysis and redundancy analysis revealed that the quality index of physical and chemical indicators in the 20-40 cm layer and the quality index of biological indicators in the 0-10 cm layer were important factors influencing yield and its components. In conclusion， in the southern black soil area of the Songnen Plain， straw mulching with subsoiling tillage is a conservation tillage technology model that can achieve multidimensional coordinated optimization of black soil farmland quality and enhance maize yield.Keywords：straw mulching;minimum tillage and no-tillage;soil quality;maize;black soil44|22|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To ensure national food security and address the critical challenge of simultaneously protecting black soils and increasing their productivity， this study focuses on the prominent issues constraining sustainable agricultural development in Northeast China including the thinning of the cultivated layer， declining soil organic matter， and structural hardening. This study systematically reviews the concept and characteristics of rational cultivated layer structure for the black soils of this region. It elaborates on the ecological functions of this rational structure from multiple dimensions， including the regulation of soil physical and chemical properties， microbial community structure and function， faunal diversity， and crop growth， development， and yield. Furthermore， the study summarizes the technical models adaptable to different regions for constructing rational cultivated layer， adaptable to different regions， and introduces the corresponding agricultural machinery. Accordingly， the study proposes future efforts should center on the core objective of ensuring national food security and aim at sustainable black soil utilization， promote deep integration of agricultural machinery and agronomy， and establish a simplified， high-efficiency， and regionally-adapted cultivation technology system. This study provides a theoretical basis and technical support for achieving both the conservation of black soil and high-quality agricultural development.Keywords：black soil;farming system;tillage layer structure;soil degradation;soil health27|33|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To address the issues of structural degradation and organic carbon loss resulting from long-term intensive use and inadequate maintenance of Northeast black soil， this study aims to clarify the regulatory effects of optimal tillage （OT） on the physicochemical properties of black soil and organic carbon. Two treatments of OT and conventional tillage （PT） were set up in the experimental field of Jilin Agricultural University. Soil bulk density， porosity， aggregate stability， and soil organic carbon （SOC） content were measured. and theT soil structure and SOC mass fraction changes of reasonable plow layer structure were analyzed using methods such as variance analysis， redundancy analysis （RDA） and random forest model. The results revealed that， compared to PT， the OT treatment can improve soil structure， with a 5.45% reduction in bulk density and an optimized porosity of 56.24% in the 0-10 cm soil layer. Additionally， the proportion of aggregates larger than 0.250 mm， mean weight diameter （MWD）， and geometric mean diameter （GMD） increased by 18.89%， 51.22%， and 68.42%， respectively. The unstable aggregate index （ELT） decreased by 64.5%. The OT treatment significantly enhanced the SOC content at 0-10 cm， 10-20 cm， and 20-30 cm soil depths （P<0.05）， with increases of 48.07%， 15.31%， and 10.74% compared to PT， respectively. RDA indicated that soil bulk density， porosity， moisture content， and aggregate stability （MWD， GMD， proportion of aggregates greater than 0.250 mm） were key factors influencing SOC. The results of the random forest model further demonstrated that soil depth， moisture content， and aggregate stability significantly contributed to SOC， with aggregate stability mitigating organic carbon mineralization losses. In summary， the implementation of appropriate tillage structures optimizes soil properties， reduces bulk density and compaction， and enhances aggregate stability， thereby creating a suitable physical environment for organic carbon sequestration. This represents an effective measure for enhancing the carbon storage capacity and improving the quality of black soil， providing theoretical support for the protection and sustainable utilization of black soil Northeast China.Keywords：optimal tillage;soil aggregate stability;carbon storage;black soil protection33|28|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：As a major maize-producing region in China， Jilin Province has faced challenges including the degradation of black soil fertility， disruption of plough-layer structure， and constraints on improving maize yield. To promote the coordinated development of black soil conservation， soil fertility enhancement， and high-yield， high-efficiency maize production， this study draws on long-term field experiments to review the progress of whole-plough-layer fertilization technology in continuous maize cropping systems. It summarizes its theoretical basis， key techniques， and practical applications， and provides prospects for future development. The results show that， in response to obstacles such as deteriorating soil physical structure and nutrient imbalance， a theoretical framework for whole-plough-layer fertilization has been established by moving beyond conventional fertilization depths. This framework emphasizes the synergistic improvement of soil structure， plough-layer depth， the quantity and quality of organic carbon， and water-fertilizer supply capacity. Key technologies have been developed， including categorized deep incorporation of maize straw and deep placement of reduced-rate chemical fertilizers. Integrated with regional high-yield cultivation practices， these advances form a maize production model characterized by high yield and high efficiency. Field validation indicates that this model increases soil organic matter content in the 0-40 cm layer by 5.4% to 8.5%， enhances fertilizer use efficiency by 13.7% to 16.8%， and raises maize yield by 9.5% to 15.0%， effectively improving soil productivity and resource-use efficiency. Future efforts should focus on deepening the mechanistic understanding of whole-plough-layer fertilization， expanding the application scope of the technology， and promoting its integration into diverse production scenarios to support the sustainable use of black soil resources.Keywords：whole-plough-layer fertilization;straw return to soil;chemical fertilizer reduction and efficiency improvement;black soil conservation25|25|1<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：In order to explore the effects of intercropping green manure on soil carbon pool composition and carbon pool management index in the cinnamon soil area in Northeast China， the conventional monoculture of maize （CK） as the control， maize 2∶0 monoculture （MC）， maize intercropping alfalfa （MA）， maize intercropping hairy vetch （MH）， and maize intercropping common vetch （MP）， thus five treatments were employed in this study in 2023—2024. The content and storage of soil organic carbon （SOC）， easily oxidizable organic carbon （EOC）， inactive organic carbon （NLOC）， particulate organic carbon （POC） and mineral-associated organic carbon （MAOC） in 0-40 cm soil layer were measured. The distribution ratio of soil organic carbon and soil carbon pool management index （CPMI） were analyzed to reveal the variation characteristics of soil organic carbon content， storage and carbon pool quality under different planting patterns. The results showed that：1） SOC content and storage of intercropping green manure treatment were 2.27%-26.42% and 0.28%-32.85% higher than CK （P<0.05）； 2） The content of EOC， NLOC， and MAOC in the CK treatment was 5.68%-54.69%、3.49%-28.89%、1.27%-19.14% lower than that in intercropping green manure treatment （P<0.05）. The reserves of EOC， NLOC， and MAOC in intercropped green manure treatments were18.81%-112.98%、0.52%-36.13%、4.84%-29.76% higher than that in CK treatment （P<0.05）； 3） Compared with CK， intercropping green manure treatment increased EOC/SOC and MAOC/SOC， while MC treatment increased POC/SOC； 4） In the 0-20 cm soil layer， the CPMI of MA treatment was 17.43% higher than that of CK （P<0.05）. In summary， intercropping green manure measures is an effective measure to increase the organic carbon content of farmland soil and improve the quality of carbon pools in the brown soil area of Northeast China.Keywords：maize;green manure;soil organic carbon;soil carbon pool management index;carbon pool quality28|25|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：This study aimed to investigate the effects of different drip irrigation amounts and fertilization rates on the “physiology-yield-quality” of spring maize in Yinhuang Irrigation District， Ningxia. A 4-factor and 3-level orthogonal array experiment was conducted in 2019 and 2020 at Wanghong Base， Institute of Crop Science， Ningxia Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences， with three drip irrigation amounts， D1 （2 310 m3/hm2）， D2 （3 300 m3/hm2）， and D3 （4，290 m3/hm2）， and three fertilization （N-P2O5-K2O） levels of S1 （292-100-31 kg/hm2）， S2 （417-143-44 kg/hm2） and S3 （542-186-57 kg/hm2） respectively， and the treatment without fertilizer application （D1S0） was taken as control. Structural equation model （SEM） was used to investigate the effects of drip irrigation amount and fertilizer application rate on maize growth， development， physiological characteristics， water and fertilizer use efficiency and yield quality. Entropy weight-TOPSIS， principal component analysis （PCA） and rank-sum ratio （RSR） were used to systematically evaluate the most suitable fertilization rate and irrigation amount combinations in Ningxia Yinhuang Irrigation District. The results showed that the fertilizer and drip irrigation significantly enhanced corn yield， ear grain weight， stem thickness， leaf area index （LAI）， relative chlorophyll content （SPAD）， straight-chain starch content， and crude protein content （P<0.05）. Among all the treatments， the fertilizer-flooding combination， D2S2， showed the best effect. Compared with the blank treatment， the plant height， stem thickness， LAI， dry matter mass， SPAD， net photosynthetic rate （Pn）， seed yield， straight-chain starch content， branched-chain starch content， total starch content， and crude protein content in the D2S2 treatment increased by 12.46%， 34.45%， 71.20%， 42.59%， 25.70%， 69.90%， 63.60%， 7.79%， 17.83%， 25.62% and 3.17%， respectively. The SEM structural equation showed that the drip irrigation and fertilizer application amounts directly and significantly affected the growth， physiology， water and fertilizer use efficiency and seed yield quality of maize. Finally， a total of 14 evaluation indexes were selected from three aspects of “physiology-yield-quality” for comprehensive evaluation by three evaluation methods. The evaluation results showed that the D2S2 treatment was optimal. Therefore， the D2S2 treatment （drip irrigation of 3 300 m3/hm2 and fertilization of N-P2O5-K2O 417-143-44 kg/hm2 is the recommended fertilization and irrigation strategy to achieve high yield， high quality and high efficiency of spring maize in the Yinhuang Irrigation District of Ningxia. It is the recommended fertilization and irrigation strategy in this study to achieve high yield， high quality and high efficiency of spring maize in the Yinhuang Irrigation District of Ningxia.Keywords：Ningxia;Yinhuang Irrigation District;spring maize;water-fertilizer synergy;growth physiology;yield quality;comprehensive evaluation39|17|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To explore the impact of straw application on the stable yield and water utilization efficiency of spring maize in continuous fall mulching farmland， and provide a theoretical basis for the sustainability of fall mulching technology application， based on a positioning experiment with different mulching methods set up in the semi-arid area of Western Liaoning in 2013， four treatments were set up from 2018 to 2022， including no mulching （NM）， spring mulching （traditional growth period mulching， SM）， autumn mulching （mulching after autumn harvest， AM）， and autumn mulching combined with straw application （straw is crushed and applied after autumn harvest， AMS）. The yields of spring corn， yield components， stable yield performance， soil moisture content， and water utilization efficiency were analyzed. The results showed that： 1） From 2018 to 2022， the AMS treatment significantly increased corn yield （P<0.05）. Compared with the NM treatment， it increased by 106.39%， 25.87%， 54.77%， 19.64%， and 20.98% respectively. Compared with the SM treatment， it increased by 48.22%， 9.33%， 30.66%， 9.92%， and 9.34% respectively. Compared with the AM treatment， it increased by 11.78%， 7.71%， 12.86%， 4.77%， and 4.43% respectively. However， there was no significant difference in harvest index among the treatments （P>0.05）. 2） The yield variation coefficient of AMS treatment in five years was 23.54%， which had better stability compared with other treatments. 3） In most years， the AMS treatment significantly increased soil water storage capacity and precipitation utilization rate （P<0.05）， During the sowing period from 2018 to 2022， there was about 750 m3 of water storage capacity increase in the 0-100 cm soil layer per hectare. Compared with the NM treatment， the precipitation utilization rate was increased by 9.33% to 48.22%， and the water consumption of crops was also significantly increased （P<0.05）， providing more available water for corn. 4） In most years， the AMS treatment also significantly improved the water utilization efficiency of both economic and biological yield （P<0.05）. From 2018 to 2022， compared with the NM treatment， the AMS treatment increased the water utilization efficiency of economic yield by 109.60%， 6.62%， 47.82%， 15.80%， and 11.10%， respectively， and the water utilization efficiency of biological yield by 81.33%， 3.14%， 55.49%， 16.57%， and 16.14%， respectively. Therefore， under different precipitation years， the autumn mulching combined with straw application technology is an effective technical measure for achieving stable and increased yield and improving water utilization efficiency of spring corn in the semi-arid area of Western Liaoning.Keywords：straw returning to field;autumn plastic film mulching;spring maize;yield stability;water use efficiency40|20|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：In order to explore the water-saving fertilization optimization mode suitable for spring maize in Hetao irrigation， Inner Mongolia， densely planted spring maize ‘Deca 159’ was taken as the test material. The dry matter accumulation and grain yield of maize were determined by setting five irrigation quotas of 510 （W1）， 600 （W2）， 690 （W3）， 780 （W4）， 870 mm （W5） and three nitrogen gradients 240 （N1）， 300 （N2） and 360 kg/hm2 （N3），a total of 15 treatments. The relationship between maize grain yield and water consumption and water use efficiency was clarified through correlation analysis. The results showed that： The dry matter accumulation of maize in each treatment was large at the jointing period and the filling stage， accounting for 22.94% and 28.06% of the total dry matter accumulation on the ground， respectively. With the increase of irrigation rate， the aboveground total biomass and grain yield of maize were the largest in W3， which increased by 23.51%， 16.17% and 25.21%， 22.91% compared with W1 and W2， respectively. There was no significant difference between N2 and N3 nitrogen application rates （P>0.05）. The water consumption and water use efficiency of maize in each treatment at the big bell period and filling stage were higher than those in other growth stages（P<0.05）. The water consumption of maize was the highest in W4 at the jointing period， tasseling period and maturity stage， and the highest at W3 at the big bell period， but it was not significantly affected by the nitrogen fertilizer gradient （P>0.05）. At different growth stages of maize， the water use efficiency was the best in W3N3 treatment. The grain yield， water consumption and water use efficiency of maize reached their maximum values in W3N3 during the whole growth period， which were 17 792 kg/hm2， 493.60 mm and 51.46 kg/（hm2·mm）， respectively. Therefore， the irrigation rate of 690 mm and nitrogen application rate of 360 kg/hm2， is more suitable for the efficient production of densely planted spring maize in Hetao irrigation area， Inner Mongolia.Keywords：drip irrigation;nitrogen application;spring corn;water use efficiency57|19|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To clarify the characteristics of soil water and heat changes and the differences in crop yield formation among different strip intercropping patterns of corn and soybean in the southern foot of the Great Khingan Mountains， the varieties tested were soybean ‘Dongsheng 19’ and maize ‘Yinnongyu 12’. Six intercropping patterns of soybeans， 2 rows of soybeans and 4 rows of corn （S2M4）， 2 rows of soybeans and 6 rows of corn （S2M6）， 4 rows of soybeans and 4 rows of corn （S4M4）， 4 rows of soybeans and 6 rows of corn （S4M6）， 6 rows of soybeans and 6 rows of corn （S6M6）， （the traditional two rows of soybeans and two rows of corn S2M2）， were designed in both 2023 and 2024. The influence on the dynamic changes of soil water and heat throughout the entire growth period of soybeans， as well as their yield and water use efficiency were analyzed. The results show that： During 2023 and 2024， the soil moisture content of the three soil layers of 0-10， >10-20， and >20-40 cm in the soybean strip presented a single-peak curve variation trend with the progress of the soybean growth period. Moreover， the soil moisture content in the three soil layers all decreased with the increase of the number of rows in the corn strip， while the water consumption of the soybean strip increased with the increase of the number of rows in the corn strip. The soil temperature in the 0-15 cm soil layer in the soybean zone generally showed a single-peak curve variation trend with the progress of the growth period， and increased with the increase of the number of rows in the corn zone. During the two years， the economic yield and water use efficiency of soybeans in S4M4， S4M6 and S6M6 were all higher than those in S2M2 treatment. The economic yield was 19.86%， 42.05%， 76.82% and 57.15%， 13.31%， 57.18% higher than that in S2M2 treatment， respectively. The water use efficiency was 19.16%， 40.34%， 76.16% and 58.91%， 11.13%， 54.37% higher than that of the S2M2 treatment， respectively. Moreover， the economic yield， biological yield and water use efficiency of the soybean strip all decreased with the increase of the number of rows in the corn belt. During the two years， the highest values of group yield and land equivalent ratio occurred in S2M2 and S4M4， and the differences were not significant. Taking multiple factors such as crop yield， high yield and efficiency， as well as the level of regional mechanized operation in the intercropping system into account the S4M4 treatment can be promoted in the southern foot of the Great Khingan Mountains.Keywords：intercropping of jade beans;soil moisture content;soil temperature;soybean output;water use efficiency37|17|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To investigate the effects of high fertilizer application rate and high planting density （HT） cultivation pattern on wheat population structure， canopy physiological and ecology， and grain yield， a field positioning experiment was conducted in Xiuwu County， Jiaozuo City， Henan Province during the 2023 to 2024 period. Three cultivation treatments were set up， including high fertilizer and high density （HT）， medium fertilizer and medium density （MT）， and low fertilizer and low density （LT）， which simulated the super-high-yield， high-yield， and traditional farmer cultivation patterns in actual production， respectively. We surveyed and measured some population structural characteristics and canopy eco-physiological indicators， including population density， leaf area index （LAI）， aboveground dry matter， green leaves per stem， flag leaf angle， post-heading canopy temperature， flag leaf photosynthetic traits， photosynthetically active radiation （PAR） interception rate， and radiation use efficiency （RUE）. Concurrently， wheat yield was determined， and principal component analysis （PCA） was performed to evaluate the contribution of these measured indicators to grain yield. The results showed that： 1） The population size was significantly increased in the HT treatment from the overwintering stage to the green-up stage by increasing the number of basic seedlings （P<0.05）. At the flowering stage， the LAI was 10.14% and 13.76% higher than that of the MT and LT treatments， respectively， laying a structural foundation for the construction of a high-yield population. 2） Sufficient nutrient supply under the HT treatment promoted an increase in the number of green leaves per stem and a decrease in the top leaf angle， showing an upright distribution trend， which was conducive to optimizing the light distribution within the population. Meanwhile， the canopy temperature changed gently after heading， reducing the adverse effects of high-temperature stress on grain filling. 3） The PARIR of the upper canopy in the HT treatment was increased by 14.81% and 19.23% compared with that in the MT and LT treatments， respectively. At the same time， the net photosynthetic rate of flag leaves was significantly improved （P<0.05）， which further enhanced the population LUE. As a result， the grain yield of the HT treatment was increased by 7.99% and 29.27% compared with that of the MT and LT treatments， respectively. In conclusion， in the high fertilizer and high density cultivation pattern， the formation of a high-yield wheat population is promoted by optimizing the population structure， improving the canopy physiological ecology， and enhancing the photosynthetic capacity， which provides a support for the sustainable high-yield cultivation practices of wheat in northern Henan Province.Keywords：wheat;fertilizer application rate;planting density;population structure;eco-physiology of canopy architecture;radiation use efficiency;yield24|19|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To explore the long-term trend of soil quality changes in farmland under different crop rotation patterns and their effects on alleviating drought stress， four long-term （2016-2022） fixed location rotation models， spring wheat-potato （R1）， spring wheat-potato-rape （R2）， spring wheat-rape （R3）， and continuous spring wheat （C1）， were established on the western slope of the Great Khingan Mountains. Two water treatments， normal moisture （NC） and drought stress （HC）， were designed， resulting in a total of eight treatments. In order of crop rotation， spring wheat ‘Longmai 36’ was planted in all rotation models in 2022. The soil physicochemical properties， enzyme activities， microbial biomass， and wheat yield under different treatments were determined， and the response of soil quality indicators under different rotation systems to drought stress， and the mitigation effects were analyzed. The results showed that： In terms of soil properties， under both water treatments， R1， R2 and R3 had significantly higher soil moisture content， total porosity， organic matter， alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen， total phosphorus， available phosphorus， total potassium， available potassium， sucrase， alkaline phosphatase， and microbial biomass phosphorus than those of C1 （P<0.05）. Compared with NC， the variation amplitudes of soil physicochemical properties， enzyme activities， and microbial indicators in R1， R2 and R3 under HC were all smaller than those in C1. Among which， R1 showed the best mitigation effect on available phosphorus content and catalase activity under drought stress， with mitigation values of 66.27% and 13.27%， respectively. R2 had the best mitigation effect on soil moisture content， available potassium， and sucrase activity under drought stress， with values of 3.77%， 50.38%， and 44.99%， respectively. R3 had the highest mitigation effect on alkaline phosphatase activity under drought stress， reaching 57.29%. Under both NC and HC conditions， the soil quality index （SQI） of R1， R2 and R3 was all significantly higher than that of C1 （P<0.05）， with no significant differences among R1， R2 and R3. In terms of yield， under both water treatments， the yield differences among R1， R2 and R3 were not significant， but were all significantly higher than that of C1 （P<0.05）. Under HC， the yields of C1， R1， R2 and R3 decreased by 24.13%， 12.95%， 16.59%， and 18.98%， respectively， compared with NC， with R1 showing the best drought mitigation effect （46.33%）. The yield of spring wheat shows a significant positive correlation with soil physical properties such as mass water content and total porosity， soil nutrient indicators including organic matter content and available nitrogen， soil enzyme activities like sucrase and alkaline phosphatase， as well as soil microbial biomass phosphorus. In conclusion， spring wheat-potato （R1）， spring wheat-potato-rape （R2）， spring wheat-rape （R3） rotation patterns can significantly improve the quality of farmland soil arable land in the western foothills of the Great Khingan Mountains， thereby alleviate the limitations of water and nutrient use by spring wheat under drought， and significantly increase spring wheat yield. R1 and R2 have better effects on alleviating drought stress.Keywords：drought stress;crop rotation mode;spring wheat;soil quality;yield28|19|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：This study aimed to determine the effects of sowing date on the characteristics of temperature and light resource distribution and utilization in the main crop-ratoon crop rice system and its relationship with grain yield in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Field experiments were conducted by using a medium Indica late maturing hybrid rice variety‘Yuxiangyou 8133’as the test material in 2023-2024. Five different sowing date treatments including the grab early sowing date （03-05， B1）， suitable early sowing date （03-12， B2）， normal sowing date （03-19， B3）， delaying sowing date （03-26， B4 and 04-02， B5）， were designed. The growth duration period， grain yield and yield components， daily average temperature， effective accumulated temperature and solar radiation under different growth duration stages of the main crop and ratoon crop were measured. The relationship between the allocation of effective accumulated temperature and effective accumulated temperature production efficiency， the allocation of solar radiation and solar radiation production efficiency and the grain yields of the main crop and ratoon crop in ratoon rice system were analyzed. The results showed that：With the delay of the sowing date， the growth duration period of the main crop was shortened， while that of the ratoon crop was extended， leading to overall shortened annual growth duration. The grain yields of the main crop， ratoon crop and annual system， as well as the effective accumulated temperature production efficiency and solar radiation production efficiency exhibited first increasing and then decreasing trend with the delay of the sowing date， and the peak value of these indexes achieved at the suitable sowing date （03-12， B2）. Compared with the grab early sowing date （03-05， B1）， the suitable early sowing date （03-12， B2） shortened the growth duration of the main crop by 4.0 d， extended the growth duration of the ratoon crop by 2.5 d， and reduced the annual growth duration by 1.5 d. The annual effective accumulated temperature and solar radiation were increased by 0.71% and 0.68%， respectively. When compared to the grab early sowing dare （03-05， B1）， the suitable sowing date （03-12， B2） increased the grain yields of the main crop， ratoon crop and annual system in ratoon rice system by 8.34%， 23.68%， and 13.39%， respectively， and elevated the effective accumulated temperature production efficiency by 6.80%， 23.91%， and 12.54%， and also increased the solar radiation production efficiency by 5.84%， 23.31%， and 12.14%， respectively. The delayed sowing date （03-26， B4） and （04-02， B5） significantly decreased annual grain yield， the temperature and solar radiation resources utilization efficiency in ratoon rice system. In conclusion， the suitable early sowing date （03-12， B2） achieves the best allocation of annual temperature and solar radiation resources for main crop and ratoon crop in rice-growing regions of the upper Yangtze River， thus synergistically enhancing both the annual yield and the utilization efficiency of thermal and solar resources main crop and ratoon crop rice system.Keywords：ratoon rice;yield;sowing date;resource allocation;resource use efficiency36|17|1<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To evaluate the feasibility of cultivating short-growth-duration winter rapeseed （Brassica napus） in low-latitude fallow paddy fields of South China， a total of 8 varieties （‘Yangguang 131’， ‘Zhongyou 925’， ‘Dadi 95’， ‘Zhongyou 995’， ‘Zhongyou 988’， ‘Xiangyou 420’， ‘Zhongyouzao 1’， and ‘Xiangyou 228’） from the middle and lower Yangtze River areas were tested in Guangzhou. These varieties were plan in winter fallow fields at two sites： Ji’an （26°58′ N） in Jiangxi Province and lower-latitude area in Guangzhou （23°08′ N） in Guangdong Province. Key agronomic traits including growth duration， seed yield， nutritional quality and their relationships with meteorological conditions were systematically analyzed. The results showed that： Compared to Ji’an， the growth duration in Guangzhou was significantly shortened by 26 to 41 d. Yield variations ranged from -28.80% to 11.61%， with ‘Xiangyou 420’， ‘Zhongyou 925’， and ‘Zhongyou 988’， which demonstrated their superior adaptability. Notably， ‘Xiangyou 420’ achieved a growth duration of 137 d and a yield increase from 1 891.39 to 2 111.08 kg/hm2， while ‘Zhongyou 925’ and ‘Zhongyou 988’ yielded 1 986.03 and 2 161.81 kg/hm2 with growth duration of 142 and 144 d， respectively. Agronomic trait analysis revealed significant geographical differences. The height of rapeseed plants， primary branch height and number of angle grains in Guangzhou test site increased by 8.01%，16.33%and 24.65%， respectively， compared with Ji’an test site. However， the number of primary branches， productive siliques per plant， and 1 000-grain weight decreased by 4.71%， 9.70%， and 21.26%， respectively， highlighting trade-offs between vegetative and reproductive growth under warmer conditions. The contents of glucosinolate and oil increased by 27.86% and 4.34%，respectively. the content of erucic acid and protein was reduced by 70.65% and 6.68%，respectively. Correlation analysis demonstrated that growth duration， seed yield， and 1 000-grain-weight showed significant positive correlations with rainfall during various growth stages and average temperature from the final flowering to maturity， while exhibiting negative correlations with average temperature from sowing to initial flowering and from initial flowering to final flowering periods， diurnal temperature variation， accumulated temperature， and temperature difference throughout the entire growth duration. Conversely， the number of angle grains demonstrated significant negative correlations with rainfall during various growth stages and average temperature from the final flowering to maturity period， but it showed significant positive correlations with average temperatures from sowing to initial flowering and from initial flowering to final flowering， diurnal temperature variation， accumulated temperature， and temperature difference during the whole growth stage ，which emphasized the sensitivity of reproductive traits to microclimate variations. In conclusion， significant adaptability differences exist among these short-growth-duration rapeseed varieties when introduced to low-latitude regions. Varieties such as ‘Xiangyou 420’， ‘Zhongyou 925’， and ‘Zhongyou 988’ combined with appropriate growth duration （137 to 144 d）， have high yield stability， high seed weight or low variability， and superior nutritional profiles， which make them ideal candidates for expanding winter rapeseed cultivation into South China’s fallow paddy fields.Keywords：winter rapeseed （Brassica napus）;introduction trial;seed yield;agronomic traits;nutritional quality43|22|2<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To explore the effects of long-term field return of different organic materials on soil heavy metal content and the risk of heavy metal contamination， based on a 14-year long-term field experiment， one-way completely randomized design was adopted. Straw （ST）， biogas residue （BR）， mushroom residue （MR）， wine residue （WR） and pig manure （PM） combined with the equal amounts of nitrogen fertilizer treatments were set by taking single application of chemical fertilizer as a control （CF）. The differences in the contents of Cd， Hg， As， Pb， Cr， Cu， Zn were determined. The Nemero index method and the Potential ecological risk index method were used to assess the level of potential ecological risk and the degree of contamination after long-term return of different organic materials to the field， so as to compare the heavy metal contents of the soils and the heavy metal contamination of soil after the long-term return of different organic materials to the field. The results showed that： Soil Cd and As content in ST treatment， soil Hg content in MR treatment， Hg， Cu and Zn in PM treatment and Cd， Hg， As， Cr， Cu and Zn in BR treatment were significantly higher than those in CF treatment， while only Pb content in ST and BR treatments and As content in WR and PM treatments were considerably lower than CF treatment. ST treatment had the highest soil As content， significantly exceeding other organic material treatments. The soil Cd and Cr contents of BR were 0.177 mg/kg and 68.0 mg/kg， which were significantly higher than those of the treatments of ST， MR， PM and CF. The soil Cu and Zn content of PM were 59.00 mg/kg and 154.33 mg/kg， which were 67.0% to 160.3% and 73.4% to 145.0% higher than those in other organic material treatments（P<0.05）. Soil heavy metal accumulation was significantly lower in the MR and WR treatments than in the ST， BR and PM treatments. The Nemero index method evaluating the soil heavy metal risk of each treatment in descending order was： PM （0.458）>BR （0.299）>ST （0.282）>CF （0.270）>MR （0.265）>WR （0.264）. The evaluation results of potential ecological risk index method in descending order was： BR （15.47）>PM （12.20）>ST （11.37）>WR （10.20）>MR （10.30）>CF （9.87）. In conclusion， long-term return of organic materials to the field increases the content of many soil heavy metals compared with the application of chemical fertilizer alone. ST can lead to an increase in soil Cd and As content. BR increases soil Cd， Cu and Zn content. PM increases soil Cu and Zn content significantly. Organic materials of plant origin （ST， MR and WR） have less risk of increasing soil heavy metal contamination in the long term than organic materials of animal origin （BR and PM） under the condition of equal nitrogen application. In conclusion， mushroom residue or wine residue combined with chemical fertilizer is an optimal organic material returning scheme to prevent and control soil heavy metal pollution.Keywords：organic material;long-term field return;soil heavy metal;risk assessment83|30|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：In order to explore the characteristics of soil microbial communities in rapeseed and milk vetch intercropping systems and their mutualistic mechanisms， three treatments were set up： monocropping rapeseed （R）， monocropping milk vetch （V）， and rapeseed intercropping with milk vetch （RV）. The years of field experiments were conducted to analyze the differences in the characteristics of the soil microbial communities under different treatments. The results showed that： 1） There were significant interannual differences in soil organic carbon fractions， nitrogen transformation and microbial community characteristics among different treatments. Compared with rapeseed monocropping and rapeseed-milk vetch intercropping， rapeseed monocropping not only increased soil temperature， but also increased soil total phosphorus， quick-acting potassium and ammonium nitrogen， and total nitrification rate. 2） Compared with monocropping， intercropping significantly reduced the Coverage index of fungi（P<0.05）， and altered the structure of soil bacterial and fungal communities and significantly enriched the richness of each species of bacterial communities， especially Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria. 3） Each environmental factor had a greater influence on soil bacterial community structure than fungi， with soil moisture and nitrogen being the key factors； There was a significant correlation between the milk vetch monocropping and intercropping treatments with several factors， suggesting that milk vetch was the key factor leading to the differences in soil bacterial community structure. 4） The soil bacterial Shannon index was positively correlated with ammonium nitrogen and negatively correlated with ammonification rate； The soil fungal Simpson index was negatively correlated with ammonium nitrogen and positively correlated with ammonification rate. Therefore， the intercropping of rapeseed and milk vetch can significantly affect the soil microbial community structure， and soil moisture and nitrogen process are the key factors.Keywords：intercropping;rapeseed;milk vetch;soil microorganisms;soil nitrogen24|22|1<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：In order to explore the effects of different proportions of Chinese milk vetch instead of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer on the community structure of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria （AOA） and ammonia-oxidizing archaea （AOB） in reclaimed paddy soil in southern China and their driving factors. In this study， five treatments were set up：No nitrogen （CK）， 100% urea （CF）， 20% Chinese milk vetch+80% urea （MVCF1）， 40% Chinese milk vetch +60% urea （MVCF2）， 100% Chinese milk vetch （CMV）. The soil physical and chemical properties and microbial community structure were determined. The variation range of soil physical and chemical properties caused by different periods （0.7%‑279.7%） was higher than that of different Chinese milk vetch returning treatments （1.4%‑105.9%）.During the decomposition period of green manure， compared with CF， the ammonium nitrogen of MVCF2 and CMV was significantly increased by 167.5% and 79.3%（P<0.05）， respectively. During the same period， the AOA and AOB community richness of MVCF2 treatment was the highest. Principal component analysis showed that the community structure of AOA and AOB was significantly separated in different periods， while there was little change between different Asinicus treatments in the same period. Redundancy analysis showed that total nitrogen， total carbon and carbon-nitrogen ratio were the main environmental factors of AOA community structure， while nitrate nitrogen was the main driving factor of AOB community. In addition， compared with CF， Chinese milk vetch returning treatment reduced the complexity of ammonia-oxidizing community structure （the number of network nodes and edges decreased by （57.0%‑92.5%）， and improved the stability of community structure （the modularity coefficient increased by 2.48 times）.In summary， compared with fertilization， the effect of period changes on soil nitrifying microbial community structure is more significant. MVCF2 treatment can increase community richness， and Chinese milk vetch returning to the field helps to enhance the stability of nitrifying microbial community structure. This study provides scientific basis for the management of green manure in southern reclaimed rice fields， which is of great significance for food security and environmentally friendly sustainable development of the rice industry.Keywords：ratoon rice;green manure;ammonia oxidizing bacteria;ammonia oxidizing archaea;co-occurrence networks30|19|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To develop an efficient and low-emission intercropping system， based on a field experiment conducted from March 2024 to March 2025， the input-output analysis and static chamber method were used to compare the productivity and soil greenhouse gas （GHG） emissions between a single-row rubber monocultural system （SR） and a double-row rubber intercropping system with arrowroot （DR-M）. The results indicated that： 1） There was no significant difference in rubber tree biomass increment （14.43-19.27 t/hm²） between the two planting patterns （P>0.05）. The yield （fresh weight） and biomass （dry weight） of arrowroot per unit rubber plantation area were 12.24 t/hm² and 7.16 t/hm²， respectively. The additional net profit increased approximately 37 800 CNY/hm²， which effectively enhanced the economic returns of the rubber plantation during the immature stage. 2） Compared with SR （45.35 t/hm²）， the cumulative soil CO₂ emissions from DR-M （42.60 t/hm²） showed no significant difference （P>0.05）. In contrast， N₂O emission was significantly lower in both the intercropped （8.94 kg/hm²） and non-intercropped plots （9.65 kg/hm²）， as well as during both the wet （7.61 kg/hm²） and dry season （1.71 kg/hm²）. The cumulative N₂O emission from DR-M was 9.32 kg/hm²， which was 62.57% lower than that from SR （P<0.05）. 3） Soil CO₂ emission flux was significantly positively correlated with soil temperature， water-filled pore space （WFPS）， and ammonium nitrogen content （P<0.05）， while soil N₂O emission flux was significantly positively correlated with WFPS （P<0.05）. The reduction in soil GHG emissions under the DR-M system could be attributed to a decrease in soil WFPS， thereby shifting the dominant N2O production process and consequently lowering emissions. In conclusion， compared with SR， DR-M can significantly improve the economic benefits of the rubber plantation while simultaneously reducing soil GHG emissions， especially N₂O. It represents a viable intercropping system for Hainan that balances understory economic development with GHG emission reduction goals. Although soil GHG emissions from the double-row rubber plantation have been preliminarily quantified and analyzed， the underlying driving mechanisms and comprehensive mitigation effects still require further in-depth investigation.Keywords：rubber plantation;agroforestry;understory economic;productivity;greenhouse gas42|20|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：This study aimed to clarify the change patterns of grain and straw yield， sort out the evolution of straw return to the field policies and technologies， analyze the impacts of rural population structure changes， and explore the critical role， inevitability， and scientific implementation strategies of straw-returning to the field. Based on statistical data including policy documents on straw return to the field from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China， this study analyzes on the pivotal function of straw return to the field in agricultural production， the inevitability of its promotion， and the practical gains and losses in straw return to the field practices and corresponding scientific strategies. Literature analysis and data statistical methods are adopted. The findings revealed that： 1） Since the beginning of 21st century， China’s grain production has increased in distinct phases， and the straw production increased from 589.295 4 million tons in 2000 to 876.742 8 million tons in 2023. 2） Since the 21st century， the policies related to straw return to the field have shifted from advisory to mandatory， and technologies have evolved from traditional manual methods toward mechanization， intelligence， and diversification. The synergy between policies and technologies has raised the comprehensive utilization rate of straw to 88.1% in 2021. 3） The rural population has declined from 783.84 million to 464.78 million， leading to severe aging of the agricultural workforce and insufficient labor supply for straw return to the field. 4） Straw return to the field plays a pivotal role in improving soil structure， enhancing soil fertility， increasing organic matter content， reducing farmland non-point source pollution， boosting crop stress resistance， and lowering fertilizer usage costs. 5） Future increases in China’s agricultural output and quality will further drive the rise in straw production and surplus， compelling the development of comprehensive utilization industries. Due to the “15-kilometer radius” cost limitation principle for straw utilization， large amounts of surplus straw will be difficult to reuse， making direct straw return to the field a feasible solution to address surplus straw. 6） Practical straw return to the field efforts face issues such as technological unsuitability and inadequate supporting measures， necessitating region-specific， crop- and soil-condition-based scientific strategies. In conclusion， policy formation should be grounded in the long-term strategic needs of China’s food security， combines with the surplus straw resulting from increased grain production， accommodates changes in rural population structure affecting straw handling methods， and aligns with the guidance of relevant straw return to the field policies， scientific straw return to the field serves as both a viable solution to the surplus straw challenge and a reference for green and sustainable agriculture.Keywords：straw-returning to the field;straw yield;rural population changes;comprehensive utilization of straw;countermeasures for straw return to the field27|23|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：The establishment of green farming systems is the fundamental approach to achieve agricultural green development. However， there is still a lack of relevant standards for evaluating whether farming systems are green and for quantitatively comparing their levels of greenness. Therefore， based on the connotation of agricultural green development and national strategic priorities， this study clarifies for the first time the scientific connotation and core characteristics of green cropping systems. The framework focuses on four key dimensions： crop yield and income， efficient resource utilization， farmland soil health， and controllable environmental costs， a green planting system evaluation index including 27 indicators was constructed， and the range method and analytic hierarchy process Delphi method are introduced to design the green index of planting system and normalize the evaluation results of indicators. On this basis， based on combination of field measurements， model simulations， and statistical data， six diversified planting patterns in South China were empirically compared， effectively distinguishing the differences in the green levels among various cropping patterns， and identifying key regulatory points for improvement. These findings verified the comprehensiveness， scientific validity， and feasibility of the evaluation framework at the farmland scale. In summary， the developed evaluation framework and green index constructed can provide standardized criteria for quantitative comparison of green levels across different cropping systems in various regions of China and also facilitate the identification of critical regulatory points to improve the green level of planting systems.Keywords：green cropping systems;assessment;connotations;indicator system36|26|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
