A Geospatial Assessment of Crop Rotation and Soil Properties for Rice Systems

Abstract

Highlights• Satellite derived land cover data and soil survey information was used in a machine learning framework to assess the soil properties of continuous rice fields and rotated rice fields in California.• The region has a high diversity of crop types but rotation with rice occurs in a limited portion.• Soil properties such as alkalinity, salinity, and saturated hydraulic conductivity may limit the feasibility of expanding crop rotations to increase agroecological diversity in this region.

Keywords: crop rotation, soil properties, random forest model, agroecological diversification, sustainability, rice systems