Pathways for sustainable production to approach the potential yield of winter wheat and summer maize on the North China Plain

Pursuing greater crop yields with fewer inputs is a grand challenge under a changing climate, particularly for smallholder farming. Integrated soil and crop management has been proven effective in increasing both crop yield and nutrient use efficiency on a large scale in China. However, there is a lack of multi-objective and integrated technologies aimed at improving soil quality, crop yield, and nutrient and water resource efficiency, which are currently the top priorities of sustainable crop production. This paper proposes pathways for the sustainable production of 22.5 t·ha–1 yield in a winter wheat and summer maize rotation on the North China Plain. The challenges and constraints of sustainable crop production were reviewed with a focus on extreme climate events, soil quality, resource use efficiency, and socioeconomic factors. There is now increasing attention given to addressing these issues through the selection of superior crop genotypes, precision management of nutrients and irrigation, improvement of soil quality and land management. This can lead to increased yields and reduced resource inputs and can also mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration in soils. Strengthening sustainable crop production requires a deeper understanding of plant–soil-climate-management interactions and involves interdisciplinary research innovation and multistakeholder participation, which can help achieve agricultural sustainability.