Millions of Chinese farmers have cut fertilizer use, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and increased crop yields after adopting new region-specific management practices, according to a 10-year study published recently in the journal Nature.
Millions of Chinese farmers have cut fertilizer use, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and increased crop yields after adopting new region-specific management practices, according to a 10-year study published recently in the journal Nature.
Chinese farmers use about 305 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare per year, more than four times the global average, in part because the Chinese government actively promoted increased fertilizer use for many decades. Starting in 2005, researchers at the China Agricultural University in Beijing ran field trials across the country’s major agricultural regions to see how they could reduce fertilizer use while boosting yields for small-scale farmers.
In each zone, they tested optimal cultivation strategies for wheat, maize, and rice. As their findings came in, the researchers used a network of over 1,000 researchers plus thousands of additional extension agents, and agribusiness professionals to pass their advice along to millions of small-scale farmers across the country. Recommendations ranged from shifting planting density to adjusting the timing of fertilizer application. Almost 21 million Chinese farmers in 452 counties adopted the recommendations of the group—accounting for some 37.7 million hectares. While farmers implemented the new management practices in the field, campaign collaborators and extension agents collected results.
Read more at Yale Environment 360
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