Toward sustainable utilization of crop straw: Greenhouse gas emissions and their reduction potential from 1950 to 2021 in China

•A face-to-face survey on straw utilization was conducted in 70 counties in China.•The amount of rice, wheat, and maize straw rose from 146 to 629 Mt over 1950–2021.•Greenhouse gas emissions from the crop straw increased 3.5-fold in the same period.•The straw retaining in fields contributed to 70% of total emissions in 2021.•The straw for bioenergy production could save 14–59 Mtce fossil fuels in 2021.