Diversifying crop rotation increases food production, reduces net greenhouse gas emissions and improves soil health

Global food production faces challenges in balancing the need for increased
yields with environmental sustainability. This study presents a six-year field
experiment in the North China Plain, demonstrating the benefits of diversifying traditional cereal monoculture (wheat–maize) with cash crops (sweet potato) and legumes (peanut and soybean). The diversified rotations increase equivalent yield by up to 38%, reduce N$_2$O emissions by 39%, and improve the system’s greenhouse gas balance by 88%. Furthermore, including legumes in crop rotations stimulates soil microbial activities, increases soil organic carbon stocks by 8%, and enhances soil health (indexed with the selected soil physiochemical and biological properties) by 45%. The large-scale adoption of diversified cropping systems in the North China Plain could increase cereal
production by 32% when wheat–maize follows alternative crops in rotation
and farmer income by 20% while benefiting the environment. This study
provides an example of sustainable food production practices, emphasizing
the significance of crop diversification for long-term agricultural resilience and soil health.