Phenomenon of Non-Grain Production of Cultivated Land Has Become Increasingly Prominent over the Last 20 Years: Evidence from Guanzhong Plain, China

Abstract

Cultivated land is the carrier of food production. As a populous country that regards cultivated land as the most valuable strategic resource, China has faced the challenge of the phenomenon of non-grain production of cultivated land (NGP) in recent years, which has attracted great attention from the Chinese government. Based on the cultivated land and grain data at the plot scale in 2000, 2010, and 2019, this study explored the evolutionary characteristics and spatial pattern of NGP in the Guanzhong Plain of Shaanxi Province from 2000 to 2019 with the Geographic Information System spatial analysis. The study found a clear trend in the spatial expansion of NGP in the past 20 years. In the 54 counties and districts of Guanzhong, there were different degrees of NGP, showing an annual expansion trend. The spatial agglomeration effect of NGP was significant. This study has important scientific value in understanding the phenomenon and patterns of non-grain production of cultivated land in China and provides a scientific basis for the formulation of cultivated land management policies.

Analysis of the Spatial–Temporal Pattern of the Newly Increased Cultivated Land and Its Vulnerability in Northeast China

“…Disturbance beyond ecosystem recovery capacity may cause severe ecological problems, risking soil erosion, increased land degradation, and lower cultivated land stability. Global warming has resulted in a significant increase in the average monthly temperature, causing the northward shift of the crop cultivation boundary [21,36].…”

“…Climate warming can alter the temperature and precipitation conditions required for crop growth, shifting the planting boundary northward and necessitating adjustments to the crop planting structure [18]. Technological advancements have also played a significant role in changing the mode of production from manual labor to mechanization, leading to crop variety optimization and the overcoming of obstacle factors [19,20] Additionally, changes in policy systems have influenced the adjustment of agricultural structure and facilitated the dynamic balance of total cultivated land [21].…”

Spatiotemporal differences, dynamic evolution and trend of cultivated land use efficiency: Based on three food functional areas

“…This study aims to further complement and deepen this research area to fill the gaps in existing research. For the measurement of CLUE, the two most common methods currently used in the academic community are Data Envelopment Analysis [ [25] , [26] , [27] ] and the utilization of Stochastic Frontier Analysis [ [28] , [29] , [30] ]. While the SFA method is extensively utilized for measuring CLUE, it is more suitable when the study environment is more complex and the influence of external random factors is significant.…”

“Norms” as the noumenon, “functions” for use: A new idea of cultivated land administrative protection in China

“…The foundation of ensuring food security lies in the protection of cultivated land (Petersen-Rockney et al, 2021) and improving the quality of cultivated land is an important measure to consolidate and improve food production capacity and ensure global food security and ecological security (Su et al, 2022). China has always attached great importance to the protection and utilization of cultivated land, from the initial exploration at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China to the gradual expansion of cultivated land quality construction after the reform and opening up (Liu et al, 2017), and then to the expansion and extension of cultivated land ecosystem maintenance since 2012, forming a "trinity" that takes into account quantity, quality and ecology's comprehensive cultivated land protection and utilization system (Zhu et al, 2022). In addition, the implementation of the most stringent cultivated land protection system such as "Grow Teeth" (GT) provides valuable experience for the conservation and utilization of cultivated land worldwide.…”