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Article

Study on the Spatiotemporal Patterns and Influencing Factors of Maize Planting in Hunan Province

1
College of Public Administration and Law, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
2
College of Landscape Architecture and Art Design, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Agronomy 2025, 15(10), 2339; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15102339 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 10 August 2025 / Revised: 28 September 2025 / Accepted: 1 October 2025 / Published: 5 October 2025

Abstract

Maize, one of the world’s three major food crops, plays a vital role in global food security. Analyzing the spatiotemporal patterns of maize cultivation in Hunan Province and their influencing factors contributes to enhancing planting quality and efficiency, optimizing production patterns, and supporting provincial food security initiatives. Utilizing maize cultivation data from Hunan Province (2001–2023), this study employed the standard deviation ellipse, center of gravity shift model, and principal component analysis to examine production patterns and their drivers. Key findings include the following: (1) The maize planting area exhibited an overall increasing trend from 2001 to 2023, with a spatial convergence from the northwest towards the east. Cultivation hot spots were identified in Shaoyang, Loudi, and Changde. Maize cultivation was predominantly concentrated in areas with gentle slopes (0–3°) and gradually shifted eastward towards similar terrain. (2) The provincial maize production center of gravity followed a “Z”-shaped trajectory, moving eastward and southward with Loudi City as its core. While the spatial distribution pattern shifted from “northwest–southeast” to “west–east”, the core concentration area maintained its “northwest–southeast” orientation. Concurrently, the fragmentation of cultivated land within the maize planting landscape increased. (3) Maize planting hot spots expanded from the northwest towards the central and eastern regions, extending southward. Cold spot areas shifted from the central region towards the northeast. By the study’s end, the central region had emerged as the core maize planting area. (4) Agricultural production conditions and policy factors were identified as the main drivers of spatiotemporal changes in maize acreage within Hunan Province.
Keywords: maize crop; spatiotemporal patterns; influencing factors; Hunan Province maize crop; spatiotemporal patterns; influencing factors; Hunan Province

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Xiao, Q.; Li, X.; Ma, J.; Zhu, L.; Gong, K.; Zhan, S. Study on the Spatiotemporal Patterns and Influencing Factors of Maize Planting in Hunan Province. Agronomy 2025, 15, 2339. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15102339

AMA Style

Xiao Q, Li X, Ma J, Zhu L, Gong K, Zhan S. Study on the Spatiotemporal Patterns and Influencing Factors of Maize Planting in Hunan Province. Agronomy. 2025; 15(10):2339. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15102339

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xiao, Qinhao, Xigui Li, Jingyi Ma, Liangwei Zhu, Kequan Gong, and Siting Zhan. 2025. "Study on the Spatiotemporal Patterns and Influencing Factors of Maize Planting in Hunan Province" Agronomy 15, no. 10: 2339. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15102339

APA Style

Xiao, Q., Li, X., Ma, J., Zhu, L., Gong, K., & Zhan, S. (2025). Study on the Spatiotemporal Patterns and Influencing Factors of Maize Planting in Hunan Province. Agronomy, 15(10), 2339. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15102339

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