Search Results (84)

Water scarcity and spatial variability in soil fertility are key constraints to stable grain production in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. However, the interaction mechanisms between regulated deficit irrigation and soil fertility influencing yield formation and water-nitrogen use efficiency in winter wheat remain unclear. In this study, a two-year field experiment (2022–2024) was conducted to investigate the effects of two irrigation regimes—regulated deficit irrigation during the heading to grain filling stage (D) and full irrigation (W)—under four soil fertility levels: F1 (N: P: K = 201.84: 97.65: 199.05 kg ha⁻¹), F2 (278.52: 135: 275.4 kg ha⁻¹), F3 (348.15: 168.75: 344.25 kg ha⁻¹), and CK (no fertilization). The results show that aboveground dry matter accumulation, total nitrogen content, pre-anthesis dry matter and nitrogen translocation, and post-anthesis accumulation significantly increased with fertility level (p < 0.05). Regulated deficit irrigation promoted the contribution of post-anthesis dry matter to grain yield under the CK and F1 treatments, but suppressed it under the F2 and F3 treatments. However, it consistently enhanced the contribution of post-anthesis nitrogen to grain yield (p < 0.05) across all fertility levels. Higher fertility levels prolonged the grain filling duration by 18.04% but reduced the mean grain filling rate by 15.05%, whereas regulated deficit irrigation shortened the grain filling duration by 3.28% and increased the mean grain filling rate by 12.83% (p < 0.05). Grain yield significantly increased with improved fertility level (p < 0.05), reaching a maximum of 9361.98 kg·ha⁻¹ under the F3 treatment. Regulated deficit irrigation increased yield under the CK and F1 treatments but reduced it under the F2 and F3 treatments. Additionally, water use efficiency exhibited a parabolic response to fertility level and was significantly enhanced by regulated deficit irrigation. Nitrogen partial factor productivity (NPFP) declined with increasing fertility level (p < 0.05); Regulated deficit irrigation improved NPFP under the F1 treatment but reduced it under the F2 and F3 treatments. The highest NPFP (41.63 kg·kg⁻¹) was achieved under the DF1 treatment, which was 54.81% higher than that under the F3 treatment. TOPSIS analysis showed that regulated deficit irrigation combined with the F1 fertility level provided the optimal balance among yield, WUE, and NPFP. Therefore, implementing regulated deficit irrigation during the heading–grain filling stage under moderate fertility (F1) is recommended as the most effective strategy for achieving high yield and efficient resource utilization in winter wheat production in this region. Full article

Understanding future changes in crop phenology and climate suitability is essential for sustaining winter wheat production in the Huang-Huai-Hai (3H) Plain under climate change. This study integrates bias-corrected CMIP6 climate projections, the DSSAT CERES-Wheat crop model, and Random Forest analysis to assess spatiotemporal shifts in winter wheat phenology and climate suitability. The assessment focuses on the mid- (2041–2060) and late 21st century (2081–2100) under the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios. The results indicate that the vegetative and whole growing periods (VGP and WGP) will be extended in the mid-century but shorten by the late century. In contrast, the reproductive growing period (RGP) will be slightly reduced in the mid-century and extended under high emissions in the late century. Temperature suitability is projected to increase during the VGP and WGP but decline during the RGP. Precipitation suitability generally improves, except for a decrease during the reproductive period south of 32° N. Solar radiation suitability is expected to decline across all stages. Temperature is identified as the primary driver of phenological changes, with solar radiation and precipitation playing increasingly important roles in the mid- and late 21st century, respectively. Adaptive strategies, including the adoption of heat-tolerant varieties, longer reproductive periods, and earlier sowing, are recommended to enhance yield stability under future climate conditions. Full article

Agricultural green production (AGP) is a key strategy for ensuring stable and sustainable grain production in developing countries. However, from the perspective of technology acquisition, research on farmers’ willingness to adopt AGP remains limited. Based on this, a survey was conducted on 862 households in major grain-producing counties in the Huang Huai Hai Plain of China with a reliable and effective response rate of 97.44%. The aim was to employ Probit and mediation models to empirically analyze the direct impacts of green perception benefits and environmental regulation intensity on farmers’ AGP willingness, and further examine the intrinsic mechanisms of technology acquisition. The results demonstrated that both green perception benefits and environmental regulation intensity significantly enhanced farmers’ willingness to engage in AGP, with green perception benefits having a greater influence. Among the two-dimensional variables, economic benefits had a stronger promoting effect than identity benefits, with a difference of 0.044 units, while subjective regulation intensity outperformed objective regulation intensity by 0.173 units. This suggested the need to strengthen the subjective impact of AGP policies in practice. Further analysis revealed that technology acquisition mediated 5.87% of the effect of green perception benefits on farmers’ AGP willingness, with acquisition evaluation having the greatest mediating effect, followed by acquisition quality and acquisition channels. However, although the overall environmental regulation intensity did not significantly impact farmers’ willingness to engage in AGP, its two-dimensional indicators played a mediating role to varying degrees. The findings in this study provide valuable empirical evidence for promoting AGP among grain producers, contributing to grain production security and the sustainable development of developing countries. Thus, implementing environmental regulatory policies tailored to local conditions, enhancing farmers’ economic awareness and sense of responsibility, and expanding farmers’ channels for technology acquisition are reasonable policy choices. Full article

Heat damage is a major abiotic stress that affects maize yield and quality. Although the differential impacts of heat damage during various growth stages have been widely documented, the grade levels of heat damage at different growth stages remain insufficiently quantified. In this study, based on daily maximum temperature data and historical disaster records of heat damage from 1980 to 2023, we quantified the grade indicators for heat damage at different growth stages, using disaster inversion and the K-means clustering method. The results identified that the duration thresholds of mild, moderate, and severe heat damage at different growth stages of summer maize are 3–5 days, 6–8 days, and more than 8 days, respectively. Further analysis revealed that the total station ratio of heat damage of summer maize showed a fluctuating upward trend from 1980 to 2023, and the station ratio at different growth stages reached the highest value in 1988, 2002, 2019, 2022, 2013, and 1999, respectively. Additionally, mild heat damage during sowing to maturity stages was found to be more widely distributed spatially and mainly exhibited a slight increasing trend. This study can provide support for enhancing disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities against different levels of heat damage. Full article

The Huang-Huai-Hai Plain is one of China’s primary winter wheat production regions, making accurate yield estimation critical for agricultural decision-making and national food security. In this study, a yield estimation framework was developed by integrating Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 satellite data with the WOFOST crop growth model and deep learning techniques. Initially, a multi-scenario sample dataset was constructed using historical meteorological and agronomic data through the WOFOST model. Leaf Area Index (LAI) values were then derived from Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 imagery, and a GRU (Gated Recurrent Unit) neural network was trained on the simulation samples to establish a relationship between LAI and yield. This trained model was applied to the remote sensing-derived LAI to generate initial yield estimates. To enhance accuracy, the results were further corrected using county-level statistical data, producing a spatially explicit winter wheat yield dataset for the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain from 2014 to 2022. Validation against statistical yearbook data at the county level demonstrated a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.659, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 578.34 kg/ha, and a mean relative error (MRE) of 6.63%. These results indicate that the dataset provides reliable regional-scale yield estimates, offering valuable support for agricultural planning and policy development. Full article

China’s croplands are facing serious threats from soil erosion, calling for long-term and spatially explicit assessment to safeguard food security and promote sustainable land use management. Yet limited attention has been directed to examining high-resolution spatial cropland-related soil erosion in China over an extended time span, especially across diverse agricultural regions and different crop types. Therefore, this study applied high-resolution remote sensing datasets to investigate the spatially explicit dynamics of crop-specific soil erosion in China from 1980 to 2018 at a 30 m resolution based on the RUSLE model. Our results showed slight erosion has consistently been the major erosion type over the past 40 years, which was primarily observed in northern areas as compared to high cropland soil erosion intensity found in southern regions. Severe erosion occurring in the Loess Plateau area was found to have decreased since 1980 due to the implementation of ecological conservation practices. While soil erosion acreage remained stable in most agricultural zones, a notable decrease was observed in the Yangtze River and Huang-Huai-Hai Plain Regions, and increases were found in the Northern Arid and Semi-arid Region and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Region. In addition, grains showed the highest erosion rates, whereas fiber crops were revealed with the lowest erosion rates. By unveiling the temporal-spatial evolution patterns of China’s crop-specific soil erosion together with a 30 m resolution dataset produced across a 40-year time span, this study is fully supportive of promoting soil and water conservation in sloping croplands and safeguarding stable food supply and sustainable agricultural practices. Full article

Accurate diagnostics of crop yields are essential for climate-resilient agricultural planning; however, conventional datasets often conflate environmental covariates during model training. Here, we present HHHWheatYield1km, a 1 km resolution winter wheat yield dataset for China’s Huang-Huai-Hai Plain spanning 2000–2019. By integrating climate-independent multi-source remote sensing metrics with a Random Forest model, calibrated against municipal statistical yearbooks, the dataset exhibits strong agreement with county-level records (R = 0.90, RMSE = 542.47 kg/ha, MRE = 9.09%), ensuring independence from climatic influences for robust driver analysis. Using Geodetector, we reveal pronounced spatial heterogeneity in climate–yield interactions, highlighting distinct regional disparities: precipitation variability exerts the strongest constraints on yields in Henan and Anhui, whereas Shandong and Jiangsu exhibit weaker climatic dependencies. In Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei, March temperature emerges as a critical determinant of yield variability. These findings underscore the need for tailored adaptation strategies, such as enhancing water-use efficiency in inland provinces and optimizing agronomic practices in coastal regions. With its dual ability to resolve pixel-scale yield dynamics and disentangle climatic drivers, HHHWheatYield1km represents a resource for precision agriculture and evidence-based policymaking in the face of a changing climate. Full article

The Huang–Huai–Hai Plain is a primary wheat production base in China, where lodging remains a critical constraint limiting yield improvement and quality enhancement. Both nitrogen application and wheat varieties are key factors influencing crop lodging resistance. This study aimed to comparatively analyze the differential responses of wheat varieties with distinct gluten properties to nitrogen fertilization gradients and elucidated the physiological mechanisms underlying the nitrogen-mediated regulation of lodging resistance in gluten-type wheat. A two-year field experiment was conducted in Xuchang City, Henan Province, from 2019 to 2021. The experimental design incorporated four varieties of wheat (two medium-gluten wheat varieties, YM49-198 and JM325, and two strong-gluten wheat varieties, XN979 and JM44) and five nitrogen (N) fertilizer levels: 0 kg·ha⁻¹ (N₀), 120 kg·ha⁻¹ (N₁₂₀), 180 kg·ha⁻¹ (N₁₈₀), 240 kg·ha⁻¹ (N₂₄₀), and 360 kg·ha⁻¹ (N₃₆₀). Each treatment was repeated three times, and each plot was completely randomly arranged in the field. An appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer significantly increased the wheat yield, with the 240 kg ha⁻¹ treatment achieving maximum yields for YM49-198, JM325, and JM44 from 2020 to 2021, but not for XN979. Quality parameters were significantly affected by varieties and nitrogen fertilizer levels. The results showed that the crude protein contents of XN979 and JM44 were 15.13% and 18.06%, respectively, under the N₂₄₀ treatment; the lodging resistance index of the medium-gluten wheat was higher than that of the strong-gluten wheat. Under the N₂₄₀ treatment in 2020–2021, the lodging resistance indexes of YM49-198, JM325, XN979, and JM44 were 12.2, 13.9, 7.9, and 11.7, respectively. Nitrogen fertilizer can increase wheat yield and ensure quality, but excessive application can decrease these factors and intensify lodging risk. The lodging index of the medium-gluten wheat was more sensitive to the amount of nitrogen fertilizer. When the nitrogen application is 240 kg·ha⁻¹, the quality indicators of medium- and strong-gluten wheat should meet standards, and the yield will be stable in the Huang–Huai–Hai Plain. These findings highlight the importance of adopting precision nitrogen management strategies and gluten-type-specific cultivation practices in wheat production systems. This could effectively balance yield stability, quality optimization, and lodging risk mitigation to ensure the sustainable intensification of wheat cultivation in the Huang–Huai–Hai Plain and similar agro-ecological regions. Full article

The winter wheat and summer maize double cropping system is the primary cropping pattern for wheat and maize in dryland areas of China. The management of tillage in this system is typically conducted before wheat sowing. However, few studies have validated and quantified the impact of tillage methods before wheat sowing and irrigation practices during the wheat season on the yield formation and water use efficiency of summer maize. Therefore, this study hypothesized that subsoiling before wheat sowing improves maize yield and WUE by enhancing soil moisture retention and plant development. A three-year field experiment with a two-factor split-plot design was conducted at the junction of the Loess Plateau and the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain in China for validation, from 2019 to 2022. Three tillage methods before wheat sowing (RT: rotary tillage; PT: plowing, SS: subsoiling) were assigned to the main plots, and two irrigation practices during wheat growing season (W0: zero-irrigation; W1: one-off irrigation) were assigned to subplots. We measured the soil moisture, grain yield, dry matter accumulation, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) accumulation, and water use efficiency of summer maize. The results indicated that subsoiling before wheat sowing increased soil water storage at the sowing of summer maize, thereby promoting dry matter and nutrient accumulation. Compared to rotary tillage and plowing, subsoiling before wheat sowing increased grain yield and water use efficiency of maize by an average of 19.5% and 21.8%, respectively. One-off irrigation during the wheat season had negative effects on pre-sowing soil water storage and maize productivity in terms of yield and dry matter accumulation. However, subsoiling before wheat sowing can mitigate these negative effects of one-off irrigation. Correlation analysis and path model results indicated that tillage methods before wheat sowing had a greater impact on soil water storage and maize productivity than irrigation practices during wheat growing season. The most direct factor affecting maize yield was dry matter accumulation, whereas the most direct factor affecting water use efficiency was nutrient accumulation. The technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) comprehensive evaluation indicated that subsoiling before wheat sowing was superior for achieving high maize yield and water use efficiency under the practice of one-off irrigation during the wheat season. These findings offer practical guidance for optimizing soil water use and maize productivity in drylands. Full article

Due to the continuous lack of specific background values (BVs) for soil heavy metals in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain in Henan province (HPHP), many researchers have used soil heavy BVs specific to Henan Province (HP) or Fluvisols of China (FC) as reference criteria to assess soil heavy metal pollution. However, spatial differences in the soil heavy metal BVs between HPHP, HP, and FC, as well as within the HPHP, remain uncertain, affecting the reliability of evaluation results. A total of 897 surface soil samples were collected from the HPHP, with 336 and 561 samples collected from the southern and northern parts of the Shaying River, respectively. According to the obtained results, the BVs of soil Hg, As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Ni in the HPHP were 0.064, 6.67, 0.129, 53.24, 19.67, 22.87, 64.00, and 26.25 mg·kg⁻¹, respectively. The BVs of soil Hg and Cd were higher than those in HP, Fluvisols in Henan Province, and FC, showing strong and extremely strong levels. The BVs of other soil heavy metals exhibited slight differences from the reference BVs. On the other hand, the BVs of soil Hg, As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Ni were 0.066, 4.11, 0.130, 56.72, 20.97, 23.31, 59.21, and 24.03 mg·kg⁻¹ in the southern part and 0.061, 7.45, 0.129, 51.92, 18.96, 22.72, 66.96, and 27.16 mg·kg⁻¹ in the northern part of the Shaying River, respectively. In addition, there were no significant differences in the Hg and Cd BVs between the two parts. Cu BVs in the southern part were significantly higher than those observed in the northern part, while the As, Zn, and Ni BVs in the northern part were significantly higher than those revealed in the southern part. In contrast, the Cr and Pb BVs in the northern part were significantly lower than those observed in the southern part. Full article

In light of the issue concerning excessive fertilization that prevails in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, through conducting a 13-year long-term positioning experiment, the sustainability of a wheat and maize double-cropping soil system under different fertilization strategies is evaluated using the triangular area method. The objective is to establish a theoretical basis for the development and implementation of appropriate fertilization practices in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. In the protracted long-term experiment, chemical fertilizer (F) was taken as the control (CK) and three distinct treatments combining organic and inorganic fertilizers were used: chemical fertilizer with straw mulching (FS), chemical fertilizer with cow dung (FM), and chemical fertilizer with cow dung and straw mulching (FMS). Between 2018 and 2019, a non-fertilization treatment was concurrently incorporated in parallel on the foundation of each existing fertilization treatment. The results indicated that following prolonged fertilization, the soil nutrient content, enzyme activity, and crop yield of each organic fertilizer treatment were significantly greater than those of the chemical fertilizer treatment alone, resulting in a more stable yield. After two years of discontinuation of fertilizer cultivation, the soil fertility indexes of each treatment exhibited a notable decline. However, the rate of decrease in soil fertility indexes for the three organic fertilizer treatments was lower compared to that of the single application of chemical fertilizer treatment, suggesting that long-term allocation of organic + inorganic fertilizers contributes to better preservation of soil fertility. Through an assessment of the soil system’s sustainability under various treatments, it becomes evident that following a two-year cessation of fertilization, the sustainability indexes of the soils subjected to three long-term organic + inorganic fertilizer treatments (1.26, 1.29, and 1.27) exceeded that of the soil treated solely with chemical fertilizer (1.00). These findings provide further evidence supporting the notion that the combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers can enhance the soil system’s capacity for sustainable production in wheat–maize farmland within the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. Full article

The Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, a vital agricultural area in China with a significant amount of arable land, plays a pivotal role in influencing grain production, ecological carbon cycles, and global climate change through its shifts in land use. Within this research, we have employed the ArcGIS tool and the In-VEST-Geodetector-PLUS methodology to scrutinize the shifts in carbon storage from the year 2000 to 2020, determine the pivotal influences behind these shifts, and anticipate the projected carbon storage for 2030. Although there has been a slight increase in forested areas as a result of environmental policies, the conversion of cropland to impervious surfaces due to urbanization has led to a persistent decrease in carbon storage, with a cumulative loss of 272.79 million metric tons over the two decades. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Night-Time Lights (NTL), Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and Population (POP) are critical factors impacting carbon storage, reflecting the intricate connection between socio-economic development and natural ecosystems. The multi-scenario simulations for 2030 suggest that the least reduction in carbon storage would occur under the scenario of protecting arable land, while the most significant decrease would be under the urban expansion scenario, highlighting the impact of urbanization. The study’s results emphasize the critical need to harmonize agricultural land conservation with economic progress for the enduring growth of the Huang-Huai-Hai region. Full article

Constructing an ecological security pattern (ESP) is an effective measure to solve current regional ecological problems, alleviate the contradiction between rapid urbanization and ecological protection, and provide an important spatial path for effective management of regional ecosystems. This study integrated the importance of ecosystem services, ecological sensitivity, landscape connectivity, and ecological resistance, and constructed ESP in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain using analytical hierarchy process (AHP), minimum cumulative model (MCR), and gravity model. A total of 13 ecological sources, 52 ecological corridors (22 first-level corridors, 9 s-level corridors, and 21 third-level corridors), and 201 ecological nodes were identified. The ecological sources were mainly distributed around the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, and the ecological corridors showed a circular distribution, while the ecological nodes were mainly distributed at the intersection of several ecological corridors. In addition, the built-up land in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain increased by 40% in the past 20 years, posing a serious threat to ecological sources and corridors, especially ecological sources adjacent to cities such as Beijing, Jinan, and Qingdao, as well as ecological corridors crossing urban areas such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Zhengzhou. The methodological system of regional ESP constructed in this study can provide theoretical foundations and methodological support for the construction of ESP and the implementation of ecological protection in other regions. Full article

Irrigation practice, tillage method, and nitrogen (N) management are the three most important agronomic measures for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production, but the combined effects on grain yield and wheat physiological characteristics are still poorly understood. We conducted a three-year split–split field experiment at the junction of the Loess Plateau and Huang-Huai-Hai Plain in China. The two irrigation practices (I0: non-irrigation and I1: one-off irrigation), three tillage methods (RT: rotary tillage, PT: plowing, and ST: subsoiling), and four N managements (N0, N120, N180, and N240) were assigned to the main plots, subplots, and sub-subplots, respectively. Irrigation practice, tillage method, N management, and most of their two-factor and three-factor interactions could significantly affect grain yield and the physiological characteristics of the leaves of winter wheat. One-off irrigation increased the grain yield by 46.9% by optimizing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT), the contents of proline (Pro) and soluble sugar (SS), and the net photosynthesis rate (Pn) in leaves during most growth stages of wheat. The improvement of grain yield and physiological characteristics under one-off irrigation was considerably affected by the tillage method and N management, and the effectiveness of one-off irrigation was improved under subsoiling and N180 or N240. One-off irrigation combining subsoiling and N180 had no significant difference relative to one-off irrigation combining subsoiling and N240, while it significantly increased grain yield by 47.1% over the three years, as well as increasing the activities of SOD, POD, and CAT, and Pn in wheat leaves by 23.2%, 41.2%, 26.1%, and 53.0%, respectively, and decreasing the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), Pro, and SS by 29.2%, 65.4%, and 18.2% compared to non-irrigation rotary tillage combined with N240 across the two years and three stages. The wheat grain yield was significantly associated with the physiological characteristics in flag leaves, and the coefficient was greatest for POD activity, followed by SOD activity and Pn. Therefore, one-off irrigation combining subsoiling and N180 is an optimal strategy for the high-yield production of wheat in dryland regions where the one-off irrigation is assured. Full article

Greenhouse gas and NH₃ emissions are exacerbated by the inappropriate timing and excessive application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in wheat cultivation in China. In this study, the impacts on N₂O, CO₂, and NH₃ emissions of a delayed and reduced N application regime on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain were investigated. The treatments comprised the control (N₀), conventional N at 270 kg N ha⁻¹ (N₂₇₀) and optimized N application of 180 kg N ha⁻¹ (N₁₈₀), N₁₈₀ + biochar at 7.5 t ha⁻¹ (N₁₈₀B_7.5), N₁₈₀ + biochar at 15 t ha⁻¹ (N₁₈₀B₁₅), N₁₈₀ + DMPP (a nitrification inhibitor; N₁₈₀D), N₁₈₀D + biochar at 7.5 t ha⁻¹ (N₁₈₀DB_7.5), and N₁₈₀D + biochar at 15 t ha⁻¹ (N₁₈₀DB₁₅). Reduced N application (N₁₈₀) lowered N₂O and NH₃ emissions. Biochar application resulted in a 4–25% and 12–16% increase in N₂O and NH₃ emissions, respectively. Application of DMPP significantly decreased N₂O emissions by 32% while concurrently inducing a 9% increase in NH₃ emissions. Co-application of DMPP and biochar significantly reduced the activity of nitrification enzymes (HAD, NOO), resulting in a reduction of 37–38% in N₂O emissions and 13–14% in NH₃ emissions. No significant differences in CO₂ emissions were observed among the various N treatments except the N₀ treatment. Application of DMPP alone did not significantly affect grain yield. However, biochar, in combination with DMPP, effectively increases grain yield. The findings suggest that the N₁₈₀DB₁₅ treatment has the potential to reduce emissions of N₂O and NH₃ while concurrently enhancing soil fertility (pH, SOC) and wheat yield. Full article