Research on Identification of Multiple Cropping Index of Farmland and Regional Optimization Scheme in China Based on NDVI Data

The multiple cropping index of farmland is a significant characterization of land use intensity. Based on the NDVI data, this paper calculated the multiple cropping index of farmland in China using the S-G filtering method, and proposed an optimized regionalization scheme for the farmland use. The findings reveal that from 2000 to 2018, the multiple cropping index of farmland in China underwent the fluctuation of rising first, then falling and rising continuously, which was closely associated with the agricultural support policies enforced in China. Counties whose multiple cropping indexes decreased from 2009 to 2018 were mainly located in areas primarily producing grain, which exerted a greater influence on food security. The gap between the multiple cropping index and potential multiple cropping index of farmland is increasingly widening from north to south in China. Accordingly, four types of grain producing zones were delineated: key development zone, potential growth zone, appropriate development zone, and restricted development zone. Some suggestions, such as rotation, fallow, determination of yield by water and offsetting the quantity balance of farmland by increasing the multiple cropping index, are put forward based on different zones.

Automated summary

This study calculated the multiple cropping index of farmland in China using NDVI data and proposed an optimized regionalization scheme for farmland use. The findings show that the multiple cropping index of farmland in China fluctuated from 2000 to 2018, which was closely related to agricultural support policies enforced in China. Counties with decreasing multiple cropping indexes were primarily located in grain-producing areas, impacting food security.