Rice yield stability and its determinants across different rice-cropping systems in China

Abstract

Rice production faces increasing challenges from climate change and soil degradation. The conversion from double to single-cropping rice over the past decades has further threatened rice self-sufficiency in China. Understanding the spatial and temporal variations of rice yield across different rice-cropping systems is crucial for creating adaptation strategies. Here we used a process-based modelling approach combined with a nationwide field dataset from 1981 to 2020 to evaluate rice yield gaps and temporal yield variabilities for single and double rice-cropping systems, and further assessed their underlying determinants in China. We showed that single rice had the largest yield gap and the greatest temporal variability in yield, followed by late rice and early rice. The coefficient of variation (CV) for actual yield ranged from 6 % to 64 %, 4 % to 36 %, and 5 % to 28 % for single rice, late rice, and early rice, respectively. Regions with unstable yields were primarily located in southwestern (for single rice) and southern China (for late rice), and determinants of yield stability varied across subregions. Overall, the combined effects of climate and soil factors generally reduce yield stability. Improved management, such as appropriate sowing dates, precise fertilization, and cultivars with favorable traits, significantly enhanced the stability. Socio-economic factors including sufficient labor and advanced agricultural mechanization also contributed to closing yield gaps and stabilizing yield. This study provides spatial insights for developing region-specific strategies to ensure a sufficient and stable rice supply.