Study on the quality improvement on black land in Northeast China under the environment of sustainable agricultural development

Abstract

PurposeThe authors are committed to providing the Chinese government with a foundation for making decisions that will protect black land and ensure long-term agricultural development.Design/methodology/approachUsing the grounded theory approach, this study investigates the influencing factors affecting the quality of black land in Northeast China and proposes a hypothetical model for the mechanism of the influencing factors on the quality of black land in Northeast China.FindingsThe factors influencing the quality of black land include not only soil quality, ecological quality and environmental quality, but also economic quality and management quality, and can be classified into five categories. There are complex influence relationships between various factors and black land quality, with soil quality, ecological quality, environmental quality and management quality having a positive influence on economic quality. Soil quality, ecological quality and environmental quality are all improved as a result of good management. Black land quality is influenced positively by environmental quality, economic quality and management quality.Research limitations/implicationsThe quality of black land is a major concern in terms of food production and long-term agricultural development. The black land in Northeast China was chosen as the subject of this study, and the research findings have some limitations. The next step will be to expand from studying the black land in Northeast China to the black land worldwide.Originality/valueIn Northeast China, the quality of the five dimensions of black land must be improved in a coordinated and consistent manner.

Ecological Security Assessment and Warning of Cultivated Land Quality in the Black Soil Region of Northeast China

“…Changes in cultivated land quality (CLQ) play an essential role in regional grain security [3]. Owing to its high levels of organic matter and nutritional potential, black soil is one of the most precious resources with respect to cultivated land [4]. The black soil region in northeast China, one of China's major grain-producing areas, has been negatively affected by long-term overexploitation and utilization, which poses a potential risk to national grain security [5].…”