Evaluation of Productive Plant Landscapes in Cold Regions Based on a Multiple Cropping Model

Four varieties of each rapeseed and buckwheat were planted in different sowing periods to explore a variety of planting patterns. A theoretical foundation was provided for the innovative application of cold region productive plant landscapes. The analytic hierarchy process was employed to develop a model for the evaluation of multiple cropping systems. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted to study 10 indicators in plant type, flower color, flowering period, flower volume, branch coverage, plot average yield, number of grains per plant, yield per plant, thousand-grain quality and ecological adaptability in four different varieties of each rapeseed and buckwheat. The results indicated that flower color, ecological adaptability, plot average yield and flower volume were the most important indicators for the value of productive plant landscapes in cold regions. Concerning the sowing period, the optimal combination of varieties and planting times were March 31 for Qingza No. 5（rapeseed） and July 18 for Xinong T1211（buckwheat）.