Climate-smart management for increasing crop yield and reducing greenhouse gas emission in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China

Abstract

Ensuring stable and high yields of crops and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from farmland through climate-smart managements in China are of great significance for mitigating global warming. In this study, the effects of climate-smart managements on crop yields and GHG emissions during 1981–2020 in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region of China were explored based on the APSIM crop model. Four cropping patterns and four fertilization measures were set according to the local planting experiences and existing research results. The results showed that proper fertilization management and effective cropping pattern were conducive to the improvement of total crop yield and reduction of GHG emissions in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region of China. The total yield of winter wheatsummer maize (W-E) cropping pattern under F4 fertilization measure (400 kg·ha−1) was the highest, ranging from 26,088.82 kg·hm−2 to 31,430.62 kg·hm−2. Among the four fertilization measures, the GHG emission intensity of W-E cropping pattern was the highest, followed by winter wheatsummer maizeearly maize (10 days earlier) (W-M-ME10) and winter wheatsummer maizeearly maize (20 days earlier) (W-M-ME20) cropping patterns. However, the GHG emission intensity of summer maize (ME) cropping pattern was the lowest. As a whole, although the GHG emissions of ME cropping pattern were low, and the yields of summer maize were also low, which was difficult to ensure the local food security needs. As the traditional cropping pattern in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, W-E cropping pattern could ensure the need for high yield, but it also caused excessive GHG emissions in the soil. Comprehensively estimating the environmental effects and crop total yields, the W-M-ME20 cropping pattern was considered an optimal cropping pattern in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region of China at present or in the future. Our results have significant ramifications for local agriculture to adapt to continuous global warming as well as for enhancing studies on climate change's effect.