Journal Article

Cultivated Land Quality Evaluation and Constraint Factor Identification Under Different Cropping Systems in the Black Soil Region of Northeast China

Liu, Changhe, Sun, Yuzhou, Qian, Fengkui, Zhou, Wentao, Liu, Yunjia, Liu, Xiangjun, Xu, Shengxian, Huang, Yuanfang, Tang, Huaizhi

2025

Overview

Cultivated land quality is a key factor in ensuring sustainable agricultural development. Exploring differences in cultivated land quality under distinct cropping systems is essential for developing targeted improvement strategies. This study takes place in Shenyang City—located in the typical black soil region of Northeast China—as a case area to construct a cultivated land quality evaluation system comprising 13 indicators, including organic matter, effective soil layer thickness, and texture configuration. A minimum data set (MDS) was separately extracted for paddy and upland fields using principal component analysis (PCA) to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of cultivated land quality. Additionally, an obstacle degree model was employed to identify the limiting factors and quantify their impact. The results indicated the following. (1) Both MDSs consisted of seven indicators, among which five were common: ≥10 °C accumulated temperature, available phosphorus, arable layer thickness, irrigation capacity, and organic matter. Parent material and effective soil layer thickness were unique to paddy fields, while landform type and soil texture were unique to upland fields. (2) The cultivated land quality index (CQI) values at the sampling point level showed no significant difference between paddy (0.603) and upland (0.608) fields. However, their spatial distributions diverged significantly; paddy fields were dominated by high-grade land (Grades I and II) clustered in southern areas, whereas uplands were primarily of medium quality (Grades III and IV), with broader spatial coverage. (3) Major constraint factors for paddy fields were effective soil layer thickness (21.07%) and arable layer thickness (22.29%). For upland fields, the dominant constraints were arable layer thickness (27.57%), organic matter (25.40%), and ≥10 °C accumulated temperature (23.28%). Available phosphorus and ≥10 °C accumulated temperature were identified as shared constraint factors affecting quality classification in both systems. In summary, cultivated land quality under different cropping systems is influenced by distinct limiting factors. The construction of cropping-system-specific MDSs effectively improves the efficiency and accuracy of cultivated land quality assessment, offering theoretical and methodological support for land resource management in the black soil regions of China.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: Agricultural development / Agricultural production / Analysis / Arable land / constraint factors / Constraints / Cropping systems / Crops / cultivated land quality / Cultivated lands / Cultivation / Food security / Fuzzy sets / Geospatial data / Indicators / Land resources / Land use / Landforms / Limiting factors / Mathematical functions / minimum data set / Organic matter / Organic phosphorus / Phosphorus / Precipitation / principal component analysis / Principal components analysis / Productivity / Quality assessment / Quality control / Real property / Resource management / Rice fields / Soil layers / Soil properties / Soil texture / Soils / Spatial distribution / Sustainability / Sustainable agriculture / Sustainable development / Texture / Thickness / Valuation