scholarly journals Price decline, land rental markets and grain production in the North China Plain

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Wang ◽  
Fan Li ◽  
Jin Yu ◽  
Luuk Fleskens ◽  
Coen J. Ritsema
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain ◽  
Price Decline ◽  
Land Rental ◽  
Rental Markets

PurposeThis study examines the heterogeneous correlations between rural farmers' land renting behavior and their grain production when they experienced a significant price decline.Design/methodology/approachWe used well-timed panel data obtained from a two-round survey held in 2013 and 2017 among 621 households in the North China Plain. The empirical analyses were conducted by using the pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) and fixed effects models.FindingsRural tenants were having heterogeneous responses in land renting behavior and agricultural production when there was a price decline. A group of optimistic tenants (as professional farmers) were more likely to enlarge the farm scale for grain production through land rental markets but decrease variable investment levels (and subsequently decreased productivity) to cope with price decline. In contrast, nonprofessional farmers (the other rural tenants) were rather pessimistic about market performance, and they significantly decreased their grain production area to cope the price decline, but there was no decrease in grain productivity through reducing variable inputs.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the extant literature on the relationship between farmers' land renting-in behavior and agricultural production. By dividing the tenants into professional and nonprofessional farmers, we argue that there is a significant heterogeneous correlation between rural tenants' land renting behavior and grain production when farmers experience a price decline.

Impact of the methods of groundwater access on irrigation and crop yield in the North China Plain

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 613-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lijuan Zhang ◽  
Jinxia Wang ◽  
Guangsheng Zhang ◽  
Qiuqiong Huang
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yield ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Climate Factors ◽  
Groundwater Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain ◽  
Groundwater Markets ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is: to track the methods by which farmers access groundwater for irrigation in the North China Plain (NCP); to explore whether climate factors influence farmers’ decisions on the methods of groundwater access for irrigation; and to examine whether the amount of groundwater use for irrigation and crop yield systematically differ across groups of farmers using various methods of groundwater access, and how climate factors affect them. Design/methodology/approach Descriptive statistical analysis and econometric models are used on household survey data collected over several years and county-level climate data. Findings Over the past few decades, a significant share of farmers have switched the methods of groundwater access from collective tubewells to own tubewells or groundwater markets. Farmers who bought water from groundwater markets applied less water to wheat plots than those who had their own tubewells. However, wheat yield was not negatively affected. Both average climate conditions and long-term variations were found to be related to farmers’ choice of methods of groundwater access for irrigation. More frequent droughts and increasingly volatile temperatures both increased the likelihood of farmers gaining groundwater irrigation from markets. Originality/value The analysis results suggest farmers are using groundwater markets to help them adapt to climate change. Applying empirical analysis to identify the impact of the methods by which farmers access groundwater for irrigation on the amount of groundwater use and crop yield will help policy makers design reasonable adaptation policies for the NCP.

Carbonaceous components in particulate matter during a haze episode at a typical industrial area in the North China Plain

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongya Niu ◽  
Zhaoce Liu ◽  
Wei Hu ◽  
Wenjing Cheng ◽  
Mengren Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Industrial Emissions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain ◽  
The Mean

Purpose Severe airborne particulate pollution frequently occurs over the North China Plain (NCP) region in recent years. To better understand the characteristics of carbonaceous components in particulate matter (PM) over the NCP region. Design/methodology/approach PM samples were collected at a typical area affected by industrial emissions in Handan, in January 2016. The concentrations of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in PM of different size ranges (i.e. PM2.5, PM10 and TSP) were measured. The concentrations of secondary organic carbon (SOC) were estimated by the EC tracer method. Findings The results show that the concentration of OC ranged from 14.9 μg m−3 to 108.4 μg m−3, and that of EC ranged from 4.0 μg m−3 to 19.4μg m−3, when PM2.5 changed from 58.0μg m−3 to 251.1μg m−3 during haze days, and the carbonaceous aerosols most distributed in PM2.5 rather than large fraction. The concentrations of OC and EC PM2.5 correlated better (r = 0.7) than in PM2.5−10 and PM>10, implying that primary emissions were dominant sources of OC and EC in PM2.5. The mean ratios of OC/EC in PM2.5, PM2.5–10 and PM>10 were 4.4 ± 2.1, 3.6 ± 0.9 and 1.9 ± 0.7, respectively. Based on estimation, SOC accounted for 16.3%, 22.0% and 9.1% in PM2.5, PM2.5–10 and PM>10 respectively. Originality/value The ratio of SOC/OC (48.2%) in PM2.5 was higher in Handan than those (28%–32%) in other megacities, e.g. Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang in the NCP, suggesting that the formation of SOC contributed significantly to OC. The mean mass absorption efficiencies of EC (MACEC) in PM10 and TSP were 3.4 m2 g−1 (1.9–6.6 m2 g−1) and 2.9 m2 g−1 (1.6–5.6 m2 g−1), respectively, both of which had similar variation patterns to those of OC/EC and SOC/OC.

Agricultural Sustainability in the Food Bowl of the North China Plain

2005 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Zhen ◽  
Gopal B. Thapa ◽  
Gaodi Xie
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain ◽  
Increase Food Production ◽  
The Cost

The North China Plain (NCP) is the food bowl of the country. To feed the growing population, farmers in the area have been using the land very intensively with high inputs to increase food production. The sustainability of such farming practices has attracted the attention of scholars, planners and decision makers. This study analyses the economic and environmental sustainability of the major cropping systems in the NCP, based on selected site-specific indicators. The information necessary for this study was obtained in 2001 through a survey of 270 farm households from four villages in Ningjin county, soil sample analysis, chemical tests for nitrate concentration in groundwater and crop plants, field observations and discussions with key informants, as well as official reports and publications. The findings of the analysis revealed that all cropping systems in the study area were economically sustainable. However, such achievements have been made at a cost to the environment, degradation of natural resources and risk to human health. If these costs are taken into consideration, all cropping systems in the study area cannot be considered sustainable. The study stresses that farming practices that are economically sustainable should not be promoted at the cost of degrading production resources. There is a need for a policy shift from the promotion of agricultural production to sustainable agricultural production. Several policy measures have been outlined for the promotion of sustainable cropping systems in the NCP.

Soil Quality in Relation to Agricultural Production in the North China Plain

Pedosphere ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 592-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min XIA ◽  
Bingzi ZHAO ◽  
Xiying HAO ◽  
Jiabao ZHANG
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain

Emergy analysis of grain production systems on large-scale farms in the North China Plain based on LCA

2014 ◽  
Vol 128 ◽  
pp. 66-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolong Wang ◽  
Yuanquan Chen ◽  
Peng Sui ◽  
Wangsheng Gao ◽  
Feng Qin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Emergy Analysis ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain

scholarly journals Carbon footprint for wheat and maize production modulated by farm size: a study in the North China plain

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liantao Hou ◽  
Yinsheng Yang ◽  
Xiaoyi Zhang ◽  
Chunming Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain

Purpose The relationship between farm size and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has not been clearly defined. This paper aims to assess and compare the impact of farm size on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions derived from wheat and maize production in the North China Plain (NCP), one of the most important agricultural regions in China. Design/methodology/approach A field survey through face-to-face interviews was conducted to collect the primary data, and life cycle assessment method, a worldwide comparable framework, was then adopted to characterize the farm-size effect on greenhouse gas (GHG) wheat and maize production in NCP. Findings It was confirmed that GHG emissions from N fertilizer production and use were the primary contributor to total carbon footprint (CF). As farm size increased, maize yield increased but wheat yield barely changed, while area-scaled and yield-scaled CF declined for both crops. These results were supposed to relate to utilize the inputs more efficiently resulting from increased application of modern agriculture methods on larger operations. It was also found maize not only had higher grain yields, but possessed much smaller CFs. More notably, the reduction of CF with farm size seemed to be more sensitive for maize as compared to wheat. To further mitigate GHG emissions, farm size should better be larger for wheat than for maize. Originality/value This study provides useful information guide for Chinese agriculture in increasing crop production, raising farm income and relieving environmental burdens caused by the misuse of agricultural resources.

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