Effects of crop planting structure optimization on water-saving, environmental, and economic multibenefits in Northeast China

Planting structure optimization is important for achieving the sustainable use of water resources and enhancing economic and environmental benefits. Substantial attention has been given to how to optimize the planting structure, but further resource, environmental, and economic effects after optimization also need to be identified thoroughly and extensively. In this paper, the multiple benefits of the optimization of planting structures were explored in Northeast China. The results showed that (1) after optimization, the planting area of maize decreased, that of rice decreased only slightly, and that of other crops increased to varying degrees in prefectures of Northeast China. (2) After optimization, the green, blue, gray, and total water footprints of crops were reduced. The economic benefits of crops increased in all prefectures in Northeast China, and crop yields decreased in some prefectures. (3) After optimization, the multibenefits increase was different among prefectures, which enhanced in most prefectures, and the degree of the indices decreased in the following order: water use benefit ratio > water pollution level > blue water scarcity > water use efficiency ratio > green water scarcity. The aims of this study were to contribute to the improvement of agricultural water savings and environmental and economic effects.