Water Requirements and Comprehensive Benefit Evaluation of Diversified Crop Rotations in the Huang-Huai Plain

An intensified farming system can significantly increase crop productivity but also cause major groundwater overdraft for irrigation and the loss of diversity. It is imperative to develop alternative rotations beyond simplified conventional winter wheat–summer maize (W–M) rotation alleviating over-extraction in China’s Huang-Huai Plain. This study systematically quantified water requirement (ETc) (ETaw) eight crops from 2013 2018 based on SIMETAW model applied Shangqiu area Fourteen (CI (i.e., harvests per cycle year) 1.5 or 2) were constructed ROTAT model. Results showed that compared W–M rotation, = 1.5) reduced annual ETc wet, normal, dry years by 9–21%. Replacing wheat double cropping did not decrease ETc. Wheat–soybean had similar ETaw accompanied higher economic output equivalent yield about 1.2 times, with 9% more protein than rotation. There having greater comprehensive evaluation index (CEI) Entropy-TOPSIS when considering 10 indicators including requirements, yield, benefits, use efficiency, energy, nutritional values. Spring potato–summer soybean highest CEI 0.627. Sweet potato advantages included increasing yield. “Wheat–soybean”-based performed well profitability output. summer promising nutrition without requirements. Therefore, decreasing index, involving sweet be a useful way improve sustainable land use, save water, ensure food products this stressed region.