Optimizing the rotation cycle of previous crops increases crop yield and environmental sustainability in paddy field rotation

Global food production faces enormous challenges in increasing yields while promoting environmental sustainability. A field experiments in the ecotone between the Yangtze River Basin and the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain evaluated the effects of changing preceding crop rotation cycles (wheat and rapeseed) on...

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Main Authors: Siyu Gun, Jing Liu, Fangyuan Huang, Junwei Wang, Hui Cheng, Qigan Li, Zhan Jiang, Yonghua Zhu, Ni Ma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2025-08-01
Series:Crop Journal
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214514125001412
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author Siyu Gun
Jing Liu
Fangyuan Huang
Junwei Wang
Hui Cheng
Qigan Li
Zhan Jiang
Yonghua Zhu
Ni Ma
author_facet Siyu Gun
Jing Liu
Fangyuan Huang
Junwei Wang
Hui Cheng
Qigan Li
Zhan Jiang
Yonghua Zhu
Ni Ma
author_sort Siyu Gun
collection DOAJ
description Global food production faces enormous challenges in increasing yields while promoting environmental sustainability. A field experiments in the ecotone between the Yangtze River Basin and the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain evaluated the effects of changing preceding crop rotation cycles (wheat and rapeseed) on long-term wheat-rice (W) and rapeseed-rice (R) rotation systems. A comprehensive evaluation of crop rotation systems was conducted using life cycle assessment, considering productivity, economic benefits, carbon footprint (CF), and soil health. Compared with fallow-rice rotation (F), alternating rapeseed and wheat rotations increased equivalent yield by 60.4%–82.2%, reduced CF by 0.3%–5.7%, and improved soil health by 0.3%–47.5%. Additionally, adding rapeseed to rotations increased soil nutrient content and raised soil organic carbon stocks by 31.3%–40.5%. The 3R rotation (3-year rapeseed-rice and 1-year wheat-rice) boosted rice yield by 82.2% and annual economic benefits by 84.4%, offering an effective model for optimizing long-term R rotations. Similarly, the 2W rotation (2-year wheat−rice and 1-year rapeseed rice) enhanced rice yield by 70.0% and annual economic benefits by 65.9%, providing a successful example for optimizing long-term W rotations. The 3R rapeseed-based rotation and the 2W wheat-based rotation demonstrated good environmental sustainability. These rotation systems have broad potential in sustainable intensive farming, especially in China and similar regions.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2214-5141
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
record_format Article
series Crop Journal
spelling doaj-art-161cc6eca295463eb48d4f66b0616d092025-08-22T04:56:33ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Crop Journal2214-51412025-08-011341281129010.1016/j.cj.2025.05.011Optimizing the rotation cycle of previous crops increases crop yield and environmental sustainability in paddy field rotationSiyu Gun0Jing Liu1Fangyuan Huang2Junwei Wang3Hui Cheng4Qigan Li5Zhan Jiang6Yonghua Zhu7Ni Ma8Oil Crops Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, ChinaOil Crops Research Institute, Xinyang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinyang 464000, Henan, ChinaOil Crops Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, ChinaOil Crops Research Institute, Xinyang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinyang 464000, Henan, ChinaOil Crops Research Institute, Xinyang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinyang 464000, Henan, ChinaOil Crops Research Institute, Xinyang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinyang 464000, Henan, ChinaOil Crops Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, ChinaOil Crops Research Institute, Xinyang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinyang 464000, Henan, ChinaOil Crops Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China; Corresponding author.Global food production faces enormous challenges in increasing yields while promoting environmental sustainability. A field experiments in the ecotone between the Yangtze River Basin and the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain evaluated the effects of changing preceding crop rotation cycles (wheat and rapeseed) on long-term wheat-rice (W) and rapeseed-rice (R) rotation systems. A comprehensive evaluation of crop rotation systems was conducted using life cycle assessment, considering productivity, economic benefits, carbon footprint (CF), and soil health. Compared with fallow-rice rotation (F), alternating rapeseed and wheat rotations increased equivalent yield by 60.4%–82.2%, reduced CF by 0.3%–5.7%, and improved soil health by 0.3%–47.5%. Additionally, adding rapeseed to rotations increased soil nutrient content and raised soil organic carbon stocks by 31.3%–40.5%. The 3R rotation (3-year rapeseed-rice and 1-year wheat-rice) boosted rice yield by 82.2% and annual economic benefits by 84.4%, offering an effective model for optimizing long-term R rotations. Similarly, the 2W rotation (2-year wheat−rice and 1-year rapeseed rice) enhanced rice yield by 70.0% and annual economic benefits by 65.9%, providing a successful example for optimizing long-term W rotations. The 3R rapeseed-based rotation and the 2W wheat-based rotation demonstrated good environmental sustainability. These rotation systems have broad potential in sustainable intensive farming, especially in China and similar regions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214514125001412Crop rotationRapeseedWheatEnvironmental sustainabilitySoil health
spellingShingle Siyu Gun
Jing Liu
Fangyuan Huang
Junwei Wang
Hui Cheng
Qigan Li
Zhan Jiang
Yonghua Zhu
Ni Ma
Optimizing the rotation cycle of previous crops increases crop yield and environmental sustainability in paddy field rotation
Crop Journal
Crop rotation
Rapeseed
Wheat
Environmental sustainability
Soil health
title Optimizing the rotation cycle of previous crops increases crop yield and environmental sustainability in paddy field rotation
title_full Optimizing the rotation cycle of previous crops increases crop yield and environmental sustainability in paddy field rotation
title_fullStr Optimizing the rotation cycle of previous crops increases crop yield and environmental sustainability in paddy field rotation
title_full_unstemmed Optimizing the rotation cycle of previous crops increases crop yield and environmental sustainability in paddy field rotation
title_short Optimizing the rotation cycle of previous crops increases crop yield and environmental sustainability in paddy field rotation
title_sort optimizing the rotation cycle of previous crops increases crop yield and environmental sustainability in paddy field rotation
topic Crop rotation
Rapeseed
Wheat
Environmental sustainability
Soil health
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214514125001412
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