Optimizing the Cropland Fallow for Water Resource Security in the Groundwater Funnel Area of China

Hong Chen, Sha Chen, Runjia Yang, Liping Shan, Jinmin Hao and Yanmei Ye ()
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Hong Chen: School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Sha Chen: School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China
Runjia Yang: School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Liping Shan: Business School, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, China
Jinmin Hao: College of Land Science and Technology, China Agriculture University, Beijing 100193, China
Yanmei Ye: School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: Excessive exploitation of groundwater for agricultural irrigation has resulted in groundwater funnel, causing land subsidence, water pollution, and vegetation degradation. The cropland fallow is an effective tool to maintain groundwater by reducing water consumption from agricultural irrigation. However, the cropland fallow program of fallow areas and fallow locations based on the protection of water resources at county level is unclear. The objective of this study is to improve the efficiency of cropland fallows under the premise of ensuring regional food security. In this study, we assessed the fallow urgency using IPLI (irrigation profit/loss index) and SGDCR (shallow groundwater depth change rate) and analyzed the cropland fallow areas and cropland fallow locations in Quzhou County, which is located in the world’s largest groundwater funnel area. The results showed that winter wheat’s irrigation water is in short supply (IPLI value is 0.1173), while that of summer maize and cotton’s irrigation water are in excessive supply (−0.9849 and −0.0071, respectively), and the depth to groundwater is deeper in the south and east in Quzhou County. The GM (1,1) gray prediction model showed that the cropland area that can be fallowed is 4089.288 hm 2 , 1189.288 hm 2 larger than the current cropland fallow area (2900 hm 2 ) according to official figures. In addition, two townships in southeast Quzhou county (Yizhuang and Houcun town) should be given high priority for cropland fallow; this is different from the current fallow cropland plots, distributed in eight townships (Yizhuang, Houcun, Nanliyue, Huaiqiao, Disituan, Henantuan, Baizhai, and Quzhou town). These results were useful to improve the cropland fallow program with the actual needs of the groundwater funnel area and develop the cropland fallow program from the aspects of “quality”, “quantity”, and “positioning” at county level.

Keywords: county level; water security; cropland fallow; fallow program; groundwater funnel area; Quzhou county (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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