Patterns of cereal yield growth across China from 1980 to 2010 and their implications for food production and food security

After a remarkable 86% increase in cereal production from 1980 to 2005, recent crop yield growth in China has been slow. County level crop production data between 1980 and 2010 from eastern and middle China were used to analyze spatial and temporal patterns of rice, wheat and maize yield in five maj...

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Main Authors: Li, Xiaoyun, Liu, Nianjie, You, Liangzhi, Ke, Xinli, Liu, Haijun, Huang, Malan, Waddington, Stephen R.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Public Library of Science 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148100
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author Li, Xiaoyun
Liu, Nianjie
You, Liangzhi
Ke, Xinli
Liu, Haijun
Huang, Malan
Waddington, Stephen R.
author_browse Huang, Malan
Ke, Xinli
Li, Xiaoyun
Liu, Haijun
Liu, Nianjie
Waddington, Stephen R.
You, Liangzhi
author_facet Li, Xiaoyun
Liu, Nianjie
You, Liangzhi
Ke, Xinli
Liu, Haijun
Huang, Malan
Waddington, Stephen R.
author_sort Li, Xiaoyun
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description After a remarkable 86% increase in cereal production from 1980 to 2005, recent crop yield growth in China has been slow. County level crop production data between 1980 and 2010 from eastern and middle China were used to analyze spatial and temporal patterns of rice, wheat and maize yield in five major farming systems that include around 90% of China's cereal production. Site-specific yield trends were assessed in areas where those crops have experienced increasing yield or where yields have stagnated or declined. We find that rice yields have continued to increase on over 12.3 million hectares (m. ha) or 41.8% of the rice area in China between 1980 and 2010. However, yields stagnated on 50% of the rice area (around 14.7 m. ha) over this time period. Wheat yields increased on 13.8 m. ha (58.2% of the total harvest area), but stagnated on around 3.8 m. ha (15.8% of the harvest area). Yields increased on a smaller proportion of the maize area (17.7% of harvest area, 5.3 m. ha), while yields have stagnated on over 54% (16.3 m. ha). Many parts of the lowland rice and upland intensive sub-tropical farming systems were more prone to stagnation with rice, the upland intensive sub-tropical system with wheat, and maize in the temperate mixed system. Large areas where wheat yield continues to rise were found in the lowland rice and temperate mixed systems. Land and water constraints, climate variability, and other environmental limitations undermine increased crop yield and agricultural productivity in these systems and threaten future food security. Technology and policy innovations must be implemented to promote crop yields and the sustainable use of agricultural resources to maintain food security in China. In many production regions it is possible to better match the crop with input resources to raise crop yields and benefits. Investments may be especially useful to intensify production in areas where yields continue to improve. For example, increased support to maize production in southern China, where yields are still rising, seems justified.
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spelling CGSpace1481002025-02-19T13:41:57Z Patterns of cereal yield growth across China from 1980 to 2010 and their implications for food production and food security Li, Xiaoyun Liu, Nianjie You, Liangzhi Ke, Xinli Liu, Haijun Huang, Malan Waddington, Stephen R. agricultural production rice maize farms yields food security wheat cereal crops climate change After a remarkable 86% increase in cereal production from 1980 to 2005, recent crop yield growth in China has been slow. County level crop production data between 1980 and 2010 from eastern and middle China were used to analyze spatial and temporal patterns of rice, wheat and maize yield in five major farming systems that include around 90% of China's cereal production. Site-specific yield trends were assessed in areas where those crops have experienced increasing yield or where yields have stagnated or declined. We find that rice yields have continued to increase on over 12.3 million hectares (m. ha) or 41.8% of the rice area in China between 1980 and 2010. However, yields stagnated on 50% of the rice area (around 14.7 m. ha) over this time period. Wheat yields increased on 13.8 m. ha (58.2% of the total harvest area), but stagnated on around 3.8 m. ha (15.8% of the harvest area). Yields increased on a smaller proportion of the maize area (17.7% of harvest area, 5.3 m. ha), while yields have stagnated on over 54% (16.3 m. ha). Many parts of the lowland rice and upland intensive sub-tropical farming systems were more prone to stagnation with rice, the upland intensive sub-tropical system with wheat, and maize in the temperate mixed system. Large areas where wheat yield continues to rise were found in the lowland rice and temperate mixed systems. Land and water constraints, climate variability, and other environmental limitations undermine increased crop yield and agricultural productivity in these systems and threaten future food security. Technology and policy innovations must be implemented to promote crop yields and the sustainable use of agricultural resources to maintain food security in China. In many production regions it is possible to better match the crop with input resources to raise crop yields and benefits. Investments may be especially useful to intensify production in areas where yields continue to improve. For example, increased support to maize production in southern China, where yields are still rising, seems justified. 2016-07-22 2024-06-21T09:23:50Z 2024-06-21T09:23:50Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148100 en Open Access Public Library of Science Li, Xiaoyun; Liu, Nianjie; You, Liangzhi; Ke, Xinli; Liu, Haijun; Huang, Malan; and Waddington, Stephen R. 2016. Patterns of cereal yield growth across China from 1980 to 2010 and their implications for food production and food security. PLOS One 11(7): e0159061. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0159061
spellingShingle agricultural production
rice
maize
farms
yields
food security
wheat
cereal crops
climate change
Li, Xiaoyun
Liu, Nianjie
You, Liangzhi
Ke, Xinli
Liu, Haijun
Huang, Malan
Waddington, Stephen R.
Patterns of cereal yield growth across China from 1980 to 2010 and their implications for food production and food security
title Patterns of cereal yield growth across China from 1980 to 2010 and their implications for food production and food security
title_full Patterns of cereal yield growth across China from 1980 to 2010 and their implications for food production and food security
title_fullStr Patterns of cereal yield growth across China from 1980 to 2010 and their implications for food production and food security
title_full_unstemmed Patterns of cereal yield growth across China from 1980 to 2010 and their implications for food production and food security
title_short Patterns of cereal yield growth across China from 1980 to 2010 and their implications for food production and food security
title_sort patterns of cereal yield growth across china from 1980 to 2010 and their implications for food production and food security
topic agricultural production
rice
maize
farms
yields
food security
wheat
cereal crops
climate change
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148100
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