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Deconstruction of the Crop Rotation Pattern for Saline-Alkaline Land Based on Geo-Information Tupu and Assessment of Its Regulatory Effects on Soil Fertility

Author

Listed:
  • Hui Zhang

    (School of Public Administration and Law, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China)

  • Wenhui Cheng

    (School of Public Administration and Law, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China)

  • Guoming Du

    (School of Public Administration and Law, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China)

Abstract

As an important reserve resource for cultivated land, the improvement and fertility enhancement of saline-alkali land are key to alleviating the pressure on cultivated land and ensuring the sustainable utilization of land resources. Studying the regulatory effect of rotation patterns on the soil fertility of saline-alkali land is one of the core research contents in exploring low-cost and environmentally friendly comprehensive management strategies for saline-alkali land. This study focuses on Zhaoyuan County, a representative saline and alkaline area within the Songnen Plain. Utilizing remote sensing technology, crop information was systematically collected across 13 time periods spanning from 2008 to 2020. These data were employed to construct a comprehensive crop information change atlas. This atlas categorized crop rotation patterns based on crop combinations, rotation frequencies, and the number of consecutive years of planting. Using soil sampling data from 2008 and 2020, a soil fertility evaluation was conducted, and the changes in soil chemical properties and fertility under various crop rotation patterns were analyzed. The results of the study show that, during the study period, crop rotation patterns in Zhaoyuan County were dominated by paddy-upland rotations and upland crop rotations. Crop rotation patterns, categorized by crop combination, were dominated by soybean–maize–other crops rotation (S-M-O) and rice–soybean–maize–other crops rotation (R-S-M-O). The frequency of crop rotation is dominated by low- and medium-frequency crop rotation. Crop rotation significantly increased soil organic matter, total nitrogen content, and overall soil fertility in the study area, while simultaneously lowering soil pH levels. Crop rotation patterns with different crop combinations had significant effects on soil chemical properties, with smaller differences in the effects of different rotation frequencies and years of continuous cropping. Crop rotation patterns incorporating soybean demonstrate a significant positive regulatory impact on the soil fertility of saline-alkali land. Low-frequency crop rotation (with ≤5 crop changes) has a relatively better effect on improving soil fertility. This research provides important empirical support and decision-making references for establishing sustainable farming systems in ecologically fragile saline-alkali areas, ensuring regional food security, and promoting the long-term sustainable utilization of land resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Hui Zhang & Wenhui Cheng & Guoming Du, 2025. "Deconstruction of the Crop Rotation Pattern for Saline-Alkaline Land Based on Geo-Information Tupu and Assessment of Its Regulatory Effects on Soil Fertility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-24, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:16:p:7430-:d:1726251
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Zhiwang Wang & Shihang Wang & Lingying Xu & Qiankun Guo & Yuqi Chen & Weiwen Qiu & Jiabei Sun, 2025. "Comparative Evaluation Methods of Comprehensive Soil Fertility in Jiangsu’s Coastal Saline–Alkali Land," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-14, February.
    2. Jingyan Huang & Yehua Shang & Yuqi Chen & Lingying Xu & Yanping Yang & Xu Zhao, 2025. "Analysis of Research Trends and Comprehensive Utilization Solutions for Saline–Alkali Land," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-19, June.
    3. Xiaodong Chen & Jinggui Wu & Yaa Opoku-Kwanowaa, 2020. "Effects of Returning Granular Corn Straw on Soil Humus Composition and Humic Acid Structure Characteristics in Saline-Alkali Soil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-11, January.
    4. Ernst-August Nuppenau, 2018. "Soil Fertility Management by Transition Matrices and Crop Rotation: On Spatial and Dynamic Aspects in Programming of Ecosystem Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-20, June.
    5. Chong Tang & Jingsong Yang & Wenping Xie & Rongjiang Yao & Xiangping Wang, 2023. "Effect of Biochar Application on Soil Fertility, Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Balance in Coastal Salt-Affected Soil under Barley–Maize Rotation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-16, February.
    6. Minhas, P.S. & Ramos, Tiago B. & Ben-Gal, Alon & Pereira, Luis S., 2020. "Coping with salinity in irrigated agriculture: Crop evapotranspiration and water management issues," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    7. Guoming Du & Longcheng Yao & Le Han & Faye Bonoua, 2023. "What Should Be Learned from the Dynamic Evolution of Cropping Patterns in the Black Soil Region of Northeast China? A Case Study of Wangkui County, Heilongjiang Province," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-17, August.
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