Estimating the impact of shelterbelt structure on corn yield at a large scale using Google Earth and Sentinel 2 data

A shelterbelt is an important measure to protect farmland and increase crop yield. However, how a shelterbelt structure affects crop yield is still unclear due to the difficulties accessing sufficient data from traditional field observations. To address this problem, we developed an innovative framework to estimate the shelterbelt structure and crop yield profile at a regional scale based on Google Earth and Sentinel-2 data. Using this method, we quantified the impact of the shelterbelt structure on the corn yield at 302 shelterbelts in the Northeast Plain of China. Generally, the corn yield increased (by 2.41% on average) within a distance of 1.2-15 times the tree height from the shelterbelt. Such an effect was particularly prominent within a distance of two to five times the tree height, where the corn yield was significantly increased by up to 4.63%. The structure of the shelterbelt has a significant effect on the magnitude of increase in yield of the surrounding corn. The increment of corn yields with high-, medium-high-, medium- and low-width-gap grade shelterbelt were 2.01%, 2.21%, 1.99%, and 0.91%, respectively. The medium-high grade shelterbelt achieved the largest yield increase effect. The location of the farmland relative to the shelterbelt also affected the yield, with a yield increase of 2.39% on the leeward side and 1.89% on the windward side, but it did not change the relationship between the yield increase effect and the shelterbelt structure. Our findings highlight the optimal shelterbelt structure for increasing corn yield, providing practical guidance on the design and management of farmland shelterbelts for maximizing yield.