Will Maize-Based Cropping Systems Reduce Water Consumption without Compromise of Food Security in the North China Plain?
The winter wheat–summer maize double cropping system caused overexploitation of groundwater in the North China Plain; it is unsustainable and threatens food security and the overall wellbeing of humankind in the region. Finding water-saving cropping systems without compromising food security is a mo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-10-01
|
| Series: | Water |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/10/2946 |
| _version_ | 1797550243597778944 |
|---|---|
| author | Jia Yang Jixiao Cui Ziqin Lv Mengmeng Ran Beibei Sun Peng Sui Yuanquan Chen |
| author_facet | Jia Yang Jixiao Cui Ziqin Lv Mengmeng Ran Beibei Sun Peng Sui Yuanquan Chen |
| author_sort | Jia Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The winter wheat–summer maize double cropping system caused overexploitation of groundwater in the North China Plain; it is unsustainable and threatens food security and the overall wellbeing of humankind in the region. Finding water-saving cropping systems without compromising food security is a more likely solution. In this study, six alternative cropping systems’ water conservation and food supply capacity were compared simultaneously. A combined water footprint method was applied to analyze the cropping systems’ water consumption. The winter wheat–summer maize system had the largest water consumption (16,585 m<sup>3</sup>/ha on average), followed by the potato/spring maize, spinach–spring maize, rye–spring maize, vetch–spring maize, pea/spring maize, soybean||spring maize and mono-spring maize cropping systems. For the groundwater, the spinach–spring maize, pea/spring maize, soybean||spring maize systems showed a higher degree of synchronization between crop growth period and rainfall, which could reduce use of groundwater by 36.8%, 54.4% and 57.6%, respectively. For food supply capacity, the values for spinach–spring maize, pea/spring maize, soybean||spring maize systems were 73.0%, 60.8% and 48.4% of winter wheat–summer maize, respectively, but they showed a better feeding efficiency than the winter wheat–summer maize system. On the whole, spinach–spring maize may be a good option to prevent further decline in groundwater level and to ensure food security in a sustainable way. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:26:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7778a641c90d4a1487a70a88130d9afe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:26:38Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-7778a641c90d4a1487a70a88130d9afe2023-11-20T17:59:12ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412020-10-011210294610.3390/w12102946Will Maize-Based Cropping Systems Reduce Water Consumption without Compromise of Food Security in the North China Plain?Jia Yang0Jixiao Cui1Ziqin Lv2Mengmeng Ran3Beibei Sun4Peng Sui5Yuanquan Chen6College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaThe winter wheat–summer maize double cropping system caused overexploitation of groundwater in the North China Plain; it is unsustainable and threatens food security and the overall wellbeing of humankind in the region. Finding water-saving cropping systems without compromising food security is a more likely solution. In this study, six alternative cropping systems’ water conservation and food supply capacity were compared simultaneously. A combined water footprint method was applied to analyze the cropping systems’ water consumption. The winter wheat–summer maize system had the largest water consumption (16,585 m<sup>3</sup>/ha on average), followed by the potato/spring maize, spinach–spring maize, rye–spring maize, vetch–spring maize, pea/spring maize, soybean||spring maize and mono-spring maize cropping systems. For the groundwater, the spinach–spring maize, pea/spring maize, soybean||spring maize systems showed a higher degree of synchronization between crop growth period and rainfall, which could reduce use of groundwater by 36.8%, 54.4% and 57.6%, respectively. For food supply capacity, the values for spinach–spring maize, pea/spring maize, soybean||spring maize systems were 73.0%, 60.8% and 48.4% of winter wheat–summer maize, respectively, but they showed a better feeding efficiency than the winter wheat–summer maize system. On the whole, spinach–spring maize may be a good option to prevent further decline in groundwater level and to ensure food security in a sustainable way.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/10/2946water footprintlife cycle assessmentwater savingfood securitycropping system |
| spellingShingle | Jia Yang Jixiao Cui Ziqin Lv Mengmeng Ran Beibei Sun Peng Sui Yuanquan Chen Will Maize-Based Cropping Systems Reduce Water Consumption without Compromise of Food Security in the North China Plain? Water water footprint life cycle assessment water saving food security cropping system |
| title | Will Maize-Based Cropping Systems Reduce Water Consumption without Compromise of Food Security in the North China Plain? |
| title_full | Will Maize-Based Cropping Systems Reduce Water Consumption without Compromise of Food Security in the North China Plain? |
| title_fullStr | Will Maize-Based Cropping Systems Reduce Water Consumption without Compromise of Food Security in the North China Plain? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Will Maize-Based Cropping Systems Reduce Water Consumption without Compromise of Food Security in the North China Plain? |
| title_short | Will Maize-Based Cropping Systems Reduce Water Consumption without Compromise of Food Security in the North China Plain? |
| title_sort | will maize based cropping systems reduce water consumption without compromise of food security in the north china plain |
| topic | water footprint life cycle assessment water saving food security cropping system |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/10/2946 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jiayang willmaizebasedcroppingsystemsreducewaterconsumptionwithoutcompromiseoffoodsecurityinthenorthchinaplain AT jixiaocui willmaizebasedcroppingsystemsreducewaterconsumptionwithoutcompromiseoffoodsecurityinthenorthchinaplain AT ziqinlv willmaizebasedcroppingsystemsreducewaterconsumptionwithoutcompromiseoffoodsecurityinthenorthchinaplain AT mengmengran willmaizebasedcroppingsystemsreducewaterconsumptionwithoutcompromiseoffoodsecurityinthenorthchinaplain AT beibeisun willmaizebasedcroppingsystemsreducewaterconsumptionwithoutcompromiseoffoodsecurityinthenorthchinaplain AT pengsui willmaizebasedcroppingsystemsreducewaterconsumptionwithoutcompromiseoffoodsecurityinthenorthchinaplain AT yuanquanchen willmaizebasedcroppingsystemsreducewaterconsumptionwithoutcompromiseoffoodsecurityinthenorthchinaplain |