Abstract
Changes in rice production in Southern China are crucial to national food security. This study employed Landsat images to map the distributions of paddy rice-cropping systems in Southern China in 1990 and 2015. The impact of rice multiple cropping index changes on grain production capacity was then evaluated. Three important results were obtained for the 1990 to 2015 study period. First, the multiple cropping index for rice decreased from 148.3% to 129.3%, and 253.16×104 ha of land area was converted from double-cropping to single-cropping rice, termed “double to single”. The area with the most dramatic changes is in the Middle-Lower Yangtze Plain. The rice-cropping system distribution in Southern China showed a change from north to south with double-cropping rice shrinking and single-cropping rice expanding. Second, the “double to single” conversion led to a reduction of 6.1% and 2.6% in rice and grain production, respectively. Hunan and Jiangxi Provinces, located in the main rice producing areas, and Zhejiang, which has shown better economic development, exhibited large reductions in rice production due to the “double to single” conversion, all exceeding 13%. Third, the grain production capacity of converted “double to single” paddy fields is equivalent to that of 223.3 × 104 ha of newly reclaimed cultivated land, which is 54% of the total newly cultivated land reclaimed through the 2001–2015 land consolidation project. It is also 1.7 times the target goal for newly cultivated land in the national land consolidation plan for 2016–2020. Making full use of the converted “double to single” paddy fields can save 167.44 billion yuan in newly reclaimed cultivated land costs. Therefore, instead of pursuing low-quality new arable land, it is better to make full use of the existing high-quality arable land. Based on these results, the government should change the assessment method for cultivated land balance, and incorporate the sown area increased by improving the multiple cropping index into the cultivated land compensation indicator.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dong J, Xiao X, Kou W et al., 2015. Tracking the dynamics of paddy rice planting area in 1986–2010 through time series Landsat images and phenology-based algorithms. Remote Sensing of Environment, 160: 99–113.
Du X, Zhang X, Jin X, 2018. Assessing the effectiveness of land consolidation for improving agricultural productivity in China. Land Use Policy, 70: 360–367.
Fan L, Liang S, Chen H et al., 2018. Spatio-temporal analysis of the geographical centroids for three major crops in China from 1949 to 2014. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 28(11): 1672–1684.
Fu Z, Cai Y, Yang Y et al., 2001. Research on the relationship of cultivated land change and food security in China. Journal of Natural Resources, 16(4): 313–319. (in Chinese)
Huang J, Yang G, 2017. Understanding recent challenges and new food policy in China. Global Food Security, 12: 119–126.
Jin S, Hou L, Xu L, 2011. The relationship of multiple cropping index of arable land change and national food security in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River. Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin, 27(17): 208–212. (in Chinese)
Jin X, Zhang Z, Wu X et al., 2016. Co-ordination of land exploitation, exploitable farmland reserves and national planning in China. Land Use Policy, 57: 682–693.
Ju H, Zhang Z, Zhao X et al., 2018. The changing patterns of cropland conversion to built-up land in China from 1987 to 2010. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 28(11): 1595–1610.
Kong X, 2014. China must protect high-quality arable land. Nature, 506(7486): 7.
Li P, Feng Z, Jiang L et al., 2012. Changes in rice cropping systems in the Poyang Lake Region, China during 2004–2010. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 22(4): 653–668.
Li T, Long H, Zhang Y et al., 2017. Analysis of the spatial mismatch of grain production and farmland resources in China based on the potential crop rotation system. Land Use Policy, 60: 26–36.
Li Y, Li X, Tan M et al., 2018. The impact of cultivated land spatial shift on food crop production in China, 1990–2010. Land Degradation & Development, 29(6): 1652–1659.
Li Z, Liu Z, Anderson W et al., 2015. Chinese rice production area adaptations to climate changes, 1949–2010. Environmental Science & Technology, 49(4): 2032–2037.
Lichtenberg E, Ding C, 2008. Assessing farmland protection policy in China. Land Use Policy, 25(1): 59–68.
Liu J, Kuang W, Zhang Z et al., 2014. Spatiotemporal characteristics, patterns, and causes of land-use changes in China since the late 1980s. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 24(2): 195–210.
Liu X, Zhao C, Song W, 2017. Review of the evolution of cultivated land protection policies in the period following China’s reform and liberalization. Land Use Policy, 67: 660–669.
Liu Y, Song W, Deng X, 2016. Changes in crop type distribution in Zhangye City of the Heihe River Basin, China. Applied Geography, 76: 22–36.
Liu Z, Li Z, Tang P et al., 2013. Change analysis of rice area and production in China during the past three decades. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 23(6): 1005–1018.
National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBSA), 2017. China Statistical Yearbook. Beijing: China Statistics Press. (in Chinese)
Qiu B, Qi W, Tang Z et al., 2016. Rice cropping density and intensity lessened in southeast China during the twenty-first century. Environmental Monitoring & Assessment, 188(1): 5.
Schmidhuber J, Tubiello F N, 2007. Global food security under climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(50): 19703–19708.
Song W, Liu M, 2017. Farmland conversion decreases regional and national land quality in China. Land Degradation & Development, 28(2): 459–471.
Song W, Pijanowski B C, 2014. The effects of China’s cultivated land balance program on potential land productivity at a national scale. Applied Geography, 46: 158–170.
Wang J, Chen Y, Shao X et al., 2012. Land-use changes and policy dimension driving forces in China: Present, trend and future. Land Use Policy, 29: 737–749.
Wang J, Xin L, 2017. Spatial-temporal variations of cultivated land and grain production in China based on GlobeLand30. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering (Transactions of the CSAE), 33(22): 1–8. (in Chinese)
Wang R, Li X, Tan M et al., 2018. Inter-provincial differences in rice multi-cropping changes in main double-cropping rice area in China: Evidence from provinces and households. Chinese Geographical Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-018-0972-4.
Xie H, Liu G, 2015. Spatiotemporal differences and influencing factors of multiple cropping index in China during 1998–2012. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 25(11): 1283–1297.
Xin L, Li X, 2009. Changes of multiple cropping in double cropping rice area of southern China and its policy implications. Journal of Natural Resources, 24(1): 58–65. (in Chinese)
Xin L, Li X, 2018. China should not massively reclaim new farmland. Land Use Policy, 72: 12–15.
Yan H, Liu F, Niu Z et al., 2018. Changes of multiple cropping in Huang-Huai-Hai agricultural region, China. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 28(11): 1685–1699.
Yan H, Liu J, Cao M, 2005. Remotely sensed multiple cropping index variations in China during 1981–2000. Acta Geographica Sinica, 60(4): 559–566. (in Chinese)
Yang W, Wang Y, 2013. Analysis on cropping changes and contributing factors of double cropping: Empirical study based on 10 major rice producing provinces. Rural Economy, (11): 24–28. (in Chinese)
Zhang K, Yu Z, Li X et al., 2007. Land use change and land degradation in China from 1991 to 2001. Land Degradation & Development, 18(2): 209–219.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Foundation: National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41571095, No.41161140352
Author: Jiang Min (1989-), PhD Candidate, specialized in land use change and its effects.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jiang, M., Li, X., Xin, L. et al. Paddy rice multiple cropping index changes in Southern China. J. Geogr. Sci. 29, 1773–1787 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-019-1689-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-019-1689-8