IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v159y2018icp32-41.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Evaluating water conservation effects due to cropping system optimization on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei plain, China

Author

Listed:
  • Luo, Jianmei
  • Shen, Yanjun
  • Qi, Yongqing
  • Zhang, Yucui
  • Xiao, Dengpan

Abstract

Irrigation of the conventional double cropping system of winter wheat and summer maize has caused serious problems regarding water resources and the environment on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei plain (HP), China. Reducing or replacing high water consumption crops (such as winter wheat) is the most impactful way to effectively save water in the HP region. In this study, crop coefficient and vegetation remote sensing data were used to estimate evapotranspiration (ETa) for winter wheat and summer maize on the HP from 2009 to 2013. For early maize, ETa and yield were based on the results from the APSIM (Agricultural Production System Simulator) crop model, which had been calibrated and validated using field experimental data. The effects on groundwater conservation and grain yield were estimated at the regional scale for the conventional winter wheat (WW) and summer maize (SM) double cropping system (Y1M2) and three alternative cropping systems: three harvests in two years system (Y2M3, 1st year: WW-SM; 2nd year: early maize), four harvests in three years system (Y3M4, 1st year: WW-SM; the next two years: early maize), as well as a continuous early maize monoculture system (Y1M1). The results showed that: (1) Relative to Y1M2, the water savings in each alternative cropping system exceeded 50% of the groundwater overdraft on the HP. The evapotranspirations of Y2M3, Y3M4 and Y1M1 decreased by 14%, 19% and 29% over that of Y1M2 (740mm), respectively. The economic water use efficiencies (WUEe) of the alternative cropping systems were 7% –16% greater than that of Y1M2. The groundwater drop by Y1M2 (0.59myear−1) was higher than that by Y2M3 (0.20myear−1) and Y3M4 (0.07myear−1), and the drop by Y1M1 was negative, indicating a groundwater rise of 0.20m. The groundwater overdraft in Y1M2 was 160mm (3.83billionm3), and the alternative cropping systems were more sustainable, with groundwater overdrafts that were less than the recharge value of 128mm on the HP. (2) In comparison with Y1M2, the total yield was reduced by 2.28, 3.04 and 4.56billionkga−1 (or 7.7%, 10.2% and 15.3%) for Y2M3, Y3M4 and Y1M1, respectively, which accounted for <15% of the regional total or <1% of the national total. It is important to note that the yield loss of the alternative cropping systems was below the net grain export amount in Hebei province, so the grain supply and demand could be roughly balanced. (3) In summary, Y2M3 is a preferred alternative cropping system over Y1M2 in the near future because of the advantages of high WUEe, economic return, mitigated groundwater level decline and balance between wheat supply and demand on the HP. Y1M1, which had the least water use and highest WUEe and economic return, is an option for the most serious groundwater overdraft area despite a contradiction between the traditional dietary habit and complete abandonment of wheat. Y3M4 is recommended as the transitional cropping system between Y2M3 and Y1M1. The method in this study is applicable to relevant regional research, and the results can be of use to the government when formulating policies on cropping systems and groundwater management.

Suggested Citation

  • Luo, Jianmei & Shen, Yanjun & Qi, Yongqing & Zhang, Yucui & Xiao, Dengpan, 2018. "Evaluating water conservation effects due to cropping system optimization on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei plain, China," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 32-41.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:159:y:2018:i:c:p:32-41
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2017.10.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X1730344X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agsy.2017.10.002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. van Oort, P.A.J. & Wang, G. & Vos, J. & Meinke, H. & Li, B.G. & Huang, J.K. & van der Werf, W., 2016. "Towards groundwater neutral cropping systems in the Alluvial Fans of the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 131-140.
    2. Holst, Jirko & Liu, Wenping & Zhang, Qian & Doluschitz, Reiner, 2014. "Crop evapotranspiration, arable cropping systems and water sustainability in southern Hebei, P.R. China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 47-54.
    3. Xu, Yueqing & Mo, Xingguo & Cai, Yunlong & Li, Xiubin, 2005. "Analysis on groundwater table drawdown by land use and the quest for sustainable water use in the Hebei Plain in China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 75(1), pages 38-53, July.
    4. Sun, Qinping & Kröbel, Roland & Müller, Torsten & Römheld, Volker & Cui, Zhenling & Zhang, Fusuo & Chen, Xinping, 2011. "Optimization of yield and water-use of different cropping systems for sustainable groundwater use in North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(5), pages 808-814, March.
    5. Xiao, Dengpan & Shen, Yanjun & Qi, Yongqing & Moiwo, Juana P. & Min, Leilei & Zhang, Yucui & Guo, Ying & Pei, Hongwei, 2017. "Impact of alternative cropping systems on groundwater use and grain yields in the North China Plain Region," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 109-117.
    6. Jing Wang & Enli Wang & Xiaoguang Yang & Fusuo Zhang & Hong Yin, 2012. "Increased yield potential of wheat-maize cropping system in the North China Plain by climate change adaptation," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 113(3), pages 825-840, August.
    7. Sun, Hongyong & Shen, Yanjun & Yu, Qiang & Flerchinger, Gerald N. & Zhang, Yongqiang & Liu, Changming & Zhang, Xiying, 2010. "Effect of precipitation change on water balance and WUE of the winter wheat-summer maize rotation in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(8), pages 1139-1145, August.
    8. Pingli An & Wei Ren & Xilin Liu & Mengmei Song & Xuemin Li, 2016. "Adjustment and Optimization of the Cropping Systems under Water Constraint," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-11, November.
    9. Sun, Hong-Yong & Liu, Chang-Ming & Zhang, Xi-Ying & Shen, Yan-Jun & Zhang, Yong-Qiang, 2006. "Effects of irrigation on water balance, yield and WUE of winter wheat in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 85(1-2), pages 211-218, September.
    10. Zhang, Xiying & Chen, Suying & Sun, Hongyong & Shao, Liwei & Wang, Yanzhe, 2011. "Changes in evapotranspiration over irrigated winter wheat and maize in North China Plain over three decades," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(6), pages 1097-1104, April.
    11. Chen, Chao & Wang, Enli & Yu, Qiang, 2010. "Modelling the effects of climate variability and water management on crop water productivity and water balance in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(8), pages 1175-1184, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Luo, Jianmei & Zhang, Hongmei & Qi, Yongqing & Pei, Hongwei & Shen, Yanjun, 2022. "Balancing water and food by optimizing the planting structure in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    2. Rathore, Vijay Singh & Nathawat, Narayan Singh & Bhardwaj, Seema & Yadav, Bhagirath Mal & Santra, Priyabrata & Kumar, Mahesh & Shekhawat, Ravindra Singh & Reager, Madan Lal & Yadav, Shish Ram & Lal, B, 2022. "Alternative cropping systems and optimized management practices for saving groundwater and enhancing economic and environmental sustainability," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 272(C).
    3. Shuai Li & Haiyu Ma & Di Yang & Wei Hu & Hao Li, 2023. "The Main Drivers of Wetland Evolution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Plain," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-25, February.
    4. Xiao, Dengpan & Liu, De Li & Feng, Puyu & Wang, Bin & Waters, Cathy & Shen, Yanjun & Qi, Yongqing & Bai, Huizi & Tang, Jianzhao, 2021. "Future climate change impacts on grain yield and groundwater use under different cropping systems in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    5. Huanhuan Peng & Jinran Xiong & Jiayi Zhang & Linghui Zhu & Guiyan Wang & Steven Pacenka & Xiaolin Yang, 2023. "Water Requirements and Comprehensive Benefit Evaluation of Diversified Crop Rotations in the Huang-Huai Plain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-20, June.
    6. Sun, Hongyong & Zhang, Xiying & Liu, Xiujing & Liu, Xiuwei & Shao, Liwei & Chen, Suying & Wang, Jintao & Dong, Xinliang, 2019. "Impact of different cropping systems and irrigation schedules on evapotranspiration, grain yield and groundwater level in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 202-209.
    7. Yan, Zongzheng & Zhang, Xiying & Rashid, Muhammad Adil & Li, Hongjun & Jing, Haichun & Hochman, Zvi, 2020. "Assessment of the sustainability of different cropping systems under three irrigation strategies in the North China Plain under climate change," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    8. Huanyuan Wang & Baoguo Li & Liang Jin & Kelin Hu, 2020. "Exploring a Sustainable Cropping System in the North China Plain Using a Modelling Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-16, June.
    9. Muhammad Umair & Tabassum Hussain & Hanbing Jiang & Ayesha Ahmad & Jiawei Yao & Yongqing Qi & Yucui Zhang & Leilei Min & Yanjun Shen, 2019. "Water-Saving Potential of Subsurface Drip Irrigation For Winter Wheat," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-15, May.
    10. Wang, Jintao & Dong, Xinliang & Qiu, Rangjian & Lou, Boyuan & Tian, Liu & Chen, Pei & Zhang, Xuejia & Liu, Xiaojing & Sun, Hongyong, 2023. "Optimization of sowing date and irrigation schedule of maize in different cropping systems by APSIM for realizing grain mechanical harvesting in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    11. Yang Wei & Boyang Sun, 2021. "Optimizing Water Use Structures in Resource-Based Water-Deficient Regions Using Water Resources Input–Output Analysis: A Case Study in Hebei Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-15, April.
    12. Zhao, Jie & Zhang, Xuepeng & Yang, Yadong & Zang, Huadong & Yan, Peng & Meki, Manyowa N. & Doro, Luca & Sui, Peng & Jeong, Jaehak & Zeng, Zhaohai, 2021. "Alternative cropping systems for groundwater irrigation sustainability in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    13. Zhong, Honglin & Sun, Laixiang & Fischer, Günther & Tian, Zhan & Liang, Zhuoran, 2019. "Optimizing regional cropping systems with a dynamic adaptation strategy for water sustainable agriculture in the Hebei Plain," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 94-106.
    14. Chen, Qiaomin & Liu, Yujie & Ge, Quansheng & Pan, Tao, 2018. "Impacts of historic climate variability and land use change on winter wheat climatic productivity in the North China Plain during 1980–2010," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 1-9.
    15. Ruan, Hongwei & Yu, Jingjie & Wang, Ping & Hao, Lingang & Wang, Zhenlong, 2023. "Relieving water stress by optimizing crop structure is a practicable approach in arid transboundary rivers of Central Asia," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    16. Wenzhe Luo & Yanling Jiang & Yuansheng Chen & Zhigang Yu, 2023. "Coupling Coordination and Spatial-Temporal Evolution of Water-Land-Food Nexus: A Case Study of Hebei Province at a County-Level," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-22, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ren, Pinpin & Huang, Feng & Li, Baoguo, 2022. "Spatiotemporal patterns of water consumption and irrigation requirements of wheat-maize in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, China and options of their reduction," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    2. Sun, Hongyong & Zhang, Xiying & Liu, Xiujing & Liu, Xiuwei & Shao, Liwei & Chen, Suying & Wang, Jintao & Dong, Xinliang, 2019. "Impact of different cropping systems and irrigation schedules on evapotranspiration, grain yield and groundwater level in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 202-209.
    3. Zhong, Honglin & Sun, Laixiang & Fischer, Günther & Tian, Zhan & Liang, Zhuoran, 2019. "Optimizing regional cropping systems with a dynamic adaptation strategy for water sustainable agriculture in the Hebei Plain," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 94-106.
    4. Xiao, Dengpan & Shen, Yanjun & Qi, Yongqing & Moiwo, Juana P. & Min, Leilei & Zhang, Yucui & Guo, Ying & Pei, Hongwei, 2017. "Impact of alternative cropping systems on groundwater use and grain yields in the North China Plain Region," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 109-117.
    5. Liang, Hao & Qin, Wei & Hu, Kelin & Tao, Hongbing & Li, Baoguo, 2019. "Modelling groundwater level dynamics under different cropping systems and developing groundwater neutral systems in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 732-741.
    6. Chen, Qiaomin & Liu, Yujie & Ge, Quansheng & Pan, Tao, 2018. "Impacts of historic climate variability and land use change on winter wheat climatic productivity in the North China Plain during 1980–2010," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 1-9.
    7. Xu, Ruixuan & Zhao, Haiming & Liu, Guibo & Li, Yuan & Li, Shoujiao & Zhang, Yingjun & Liu, Nan & Ma, Lei, 2022. "Alfalfa and silage maize intercropping provides comparable productivity and profitability with lower environmental impacts than wheat–maize system in the North China plain," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    8. Sun, Qinping & Kröbel, Roland & Müller, Torsten & Römheld, Volker & Cui, Zhenling & Zhang, Fusuo & Chen, Xinping, 2011. "Optimization of yield and water-use of different cropping systems for sustainable groundwater use in North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(5), pages 808-814, March.
    9. Luo, Jianmei & Zhang, Hongmei & Qi, Yongqing & Pei, Hongwei & Shen, Yanjun, 2022. "Balancing water and food by optimizing the planting structure in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    10. Yan, Zongzheng & Zhang, Xiying & Rashid, Muhammad Adil & Li, Hongjun & Jing, Haichun & Hochman, Zvi, 2020. "Assessment of the sustainability of different cropping systems under three irrigation strategies in the North China Plain under climate change," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    11. Zeng, Ruiyun & Lin, Xiaomao & Welch, Stephen M. & Yang, Shanshan & Huang, Na & Sassenrath, Gretchen F. & Yao, Fengmei, 2023. "Impact of water deficit and irrigation management on winter wheat yield in China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    12. Zeng, Ruiyun & Yao, Fengmei & Zhang, Sha & Yang, Shanshan & Bai, Yun & Zhang, Jiahua & Wang, Jingwen & Wang, Xin, 2021. "Assessing the effects of precipitation and irrigation on winter wheat yield and water productivity in North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    13. Yang, Xiaolin & Jin, Xinnan & Chu, Qingquan & Pacenka, Steven & Steenhuis, Tammo S., 2021. "Impact of climate variation from 1965 to 2016 on cotton water requirements in North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    14. Fang, Qin & Zhang, Xiying & Shao, Liwei & Chen, Suying & Sun, Hongyong, 2018. "Assessing the performance of different irrigation systems on winter wheat under limited water supply," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 133-143.
    15. Zhong, Honglin & Sun, Laixiang & Fischer, Günther & Tian, Zhan & van Velthuizen, Harrij & Liang, Zhuoran, 2017. "Mission Impossible? Maintaining regional grain production level and recovering local groundwater table by cropping system adaptation across the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 1-12.
    16. Liang, Shuoshuo & Li, Lu & An, Ping & Chen, Suying & Shao, Liwei & Zhang, Xiying, 2021. "Spatial soil water and nutrient distribution affecting the water productivity of winter wheat," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    17. Zhao, Jie & Zhang, Xuepeng & Yang, Yadong & Zang, Huadong & Yan, Peng & Meki, Manyowa N. & Doro, Luca & Sui, Peng & Jeong, Jaehak & Zeng, Zhaohai, 2021. "Alternative cropping systems for groundwater irrigation sustainability in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    18. Sun, Zhencai & Zhang, Yinghua & Zhang, Zhen & Gao, Yanmei & Yang, Youming & Han, Meikun & Wang, Zhimin, 2019. "Significance of disposable presowing irrigation in wheat in increasing water use efficiency and maintaining high yield under winter wheat-summer maize rotation in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    19. Wang, Xiquan & Nie, Jiangwen & Wang, Peixin & Zhao, Jie & Yang, Yadong & Wang, Shang & Zeng, Zhaohai & Zang, Huadong, 2021. "Does the replacement of chemical fertilizer nitrogen by manure benefit water use efficiency of winter wheat – summer maize systems?," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    20. Wu, Dong & Fang, Shibo & Li, Xuan & He, Di & Zhu, Yongchao & Yang, Zaiqiang & Xu, Jiaxin & Wu, Yingjie, 2019. "Spatial-temporal variation in irrigation water requirement for the winter wheat-summer maize rotation system since the 1980s on the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 214(C), pages 78-86.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:159:y:2018:i:c:p:32-41. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.