• Authors:
    • Yang, C. H.
    • Han, S. M.
    • Zhu, R. X.
    • Xue, S. P.
    • Yang, Q.
  • Source: Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering
  • Volume: 23
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2007
  • Summary: The objective of this study was to determine conservation tillage techniques suitable for semiarid regions in North China. Ten different mechanized patterns of no-till or reduced-tillage for two crops (winter wheat and summer maize) within one year were set up at the Experiment and Demonstration Site for Mechanized New Techniques and Machinery at Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China, and these conservation tillage patterns were compared with conventional tillage. Results showed that wheat yield increased by 53% and summer maize yield increased by 25%, average soil water storage increased from 1% to 1.2% at different depths, and average organic matter increased by 1.03 g/kg relatively for the conservation tillage system with wheat residue cover and no-till seeding of maize immediately after wheat harvest, compared with conventional bare soil ploughing. Moreover, the efficiency of yield increase and water storage for deep soil loosening was higher than that for deep ploughing. No-till seeding of maize on high stubble mulching was better than seeding on low stubble. Finally, cost-benefit analysis results showed that conservation tillage resulted in great economic returns than convention tillage due to greater yields and lower production costs resulting from reduced tillage.
  • Authors:
    • Zhang, X. M.
    • Wang, X. Y.
    • Gao, H. W.
    • Li, H. W.
    • Yao, Z, L.
  • Source: Transactions of the Chinese Society for Agricultural Machinery = Nongye Jixie Xuebao
  • Volume: 38
  • Issue: 8
  • Year: 2007
  • Summary: A new no-till wheat planter, named 2BMDF-12 no-till wheat planter, was developed at the China Agricultural University to solve an extremely important problem, including zero-tillage planting of wheat in narrow row spacing (150-200 mm) between rows of very high-levels full length, standing maize stubble in one pass in double cropping area of North China. A combined anti-blocking device that is composed of a power chopping axle and a planting unit of double-disc opener was designed. Field performance test results showed that the machine could accomplish many procedures, such as stubble chopping, furrow opening, seeds and fertilizer placement, etc, in one pass, and operation costs could be decreased by ~50%. The machine worked well for planting wheat into standing maize stubble and maize stubble shattered. The power chopping axle resolved the anti-blockage problem, and the double-disc opener unit reduced the blockage between planting units. Meanwhile, the variations for seed depth reduced to 19.8 and 21.3%. Thus, this machine can be a good solution to no-till wheat planting in double cropping areas.
  • Authors:
    • Wang, X.
  • Source: Conservation tillage and nutrient management in dryland farming in China
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: This thesis contains 8 chapters focusing on the relations between rainfall and crop yields, and on the effects of various tillage and nutrient management practices on erosion, crop yields and water and nutrient use efficiencies. The bases of the study were: desk studies on conservation tillage and on dust storm erosion in China; long-term field experiments conducted in the dry semi-humid region of northern China (Shanxi and Henan); and simulation modelling. The first two chapters provide a brief introduction and background information on the trends in soil conservation and conservation tillage practices on global, national and regional scales, with emphasis on dryland farming of northern China. Chapter 3 analyses the effects of variation in rainfall on crop yields. The next chapter covers tillage and residue effects on rainfed wheat and maize production. Chapters 5 and 6 discuss nutrient dynamics in dryland maize cropping systems with emphasis on grain yield, and water and nutrient use efficiencies and on nutrient balances and soil fertility indices. Chapter 7 presents a scenario analysis of tillage, crop residue, cattle manure and fertilizer application management effects on soil organic carbon dynamics, using the Century model with input from the long-term field studies. The final chapter provides a general discussion and synthesis of the research findings. The consequences for future research and application of conservation tillage are also discussed.
  • Authors:
    • Li, H. W.
    • Li, B.
  • Source: Transactions of the Chinese Society for Agricultural Machinery
  • Volume: 37
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: A no-till planter for wheat that can work on the field bestrewing whole maize straw was developed. Because a specific row planter was used in the machine, it is only required to chop the straw and not to chop the root. Compared with a rotary cultivator for chopping and covering stubbles in soil, the performance of the planter was better, and its anti-blocking effect was outstanding.
  • Authors:
    • Rosenberg, N. J.
    • Izaurralde, R. C.
    • Thomson, A. M.
    • He, X. X.
  • Source: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
  • Volume: 114
  • Issue: 2/4
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: For thousands of years, the Huang-Hai Plain in northeast China has been one of the most productive agricultural regions of the country. The future of this region will be determined in large part by how global climatic changes impact regional conditions and by actions taken to mitigate or adapt to climate change impacts. One potential mitigation strategy is to promote management practices that have the potential to sequester carbon in the soils. The IPCC estimates that 40 Pg of C could be sequestered in cropland soils worldwide over the next several decades; however, changes in global climate may impact this potential. Here, we assess the potential for soil C sequestration with conversion of a conventional till (CT) continuous wheat system to a wheat-corn double cropping system and by implementing no till (NT) management for both continuous wheat and wheat-corn systems. To assess the influence of these management practices under a changing climate, we use two climate change scenarios (A2 and B2) at two time periods in the EPIC agro-ecosystem simulation model. The applied climate change scenarios are from the HadCM3 global climate model for the periods 2015-2045 and 2070-2099 which projects consistent increases in temperature and precipitation of greater than 5degreesC and up to 300 mm by 2099. An increase in the variability of temperature is also projected and is, accordingly, applied in the simulations. The EPIC model indicates that winter wheat yields would increase on average by 0.2 Mg ha -1 in the earlier period and by 0.8 Mg ha -1 in the later period due to warmer nighttime temperatures and higher precipitation. Simulated yields were not significantly affected by imposed changes in crop management. Simulated soil organic C content was higher under both NT management and double cropping than under CT continuous wheat. The simulated changes in management were a more important factor in SOC changes than the scenario of climate change. Soil C sequestration rates for continuous wheat systems were increased by an average of 0.4 Mg ha -1 year -1 by NT in the earlier period and by 0.2 Mg ha -1 year -1 in the later period. With wheat-corn double cropping, NT increased sequestration rates by 0.8 and 0.4 Mg ha -1 year -1 for the earlier and later periods, respectively. The total C offset due to a shift from CT to NT under continuous wheat over 16 million hectares in the Huang-Hai Plain is projected to reach 240 Tg C in the earlier period and 180 Tg C in the later period. Corresponding C offsets for wheat-corn cropping are 675-495 Tg C.
  • Authors:
    • Ding, H.
    • Edis, R.
    • Zhang, Y.
    • Chen, D.
    • Li, Y.
  • Source: Global Biogeochemical Cycles
  • Volume: 19
  • Year: 2005
  • Authors:
    • Wang, X. B.
    • Cai, D. X.
  • Source: Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering
  • Volume: 21
  • Issue: 6
  • Year: 2005
  • Summary: Field experiments on surface soil mulch with emulsified bituminous materials and fertilizer management based on conservation tillage practices for spring maize were conducted in dry farmland of Shouyang in Shanxi Province (China), to determine the impacts of tillage, surface mulch with emulsified bituminous materials and fertilizer rate on soil temperature, soil water, and crop seedling emergence and yields, and to evaluate the integrated management of conservation tillage, emulsified bituminous mulch and fertilizer application in dry farming for promoting agricultural production. Compared with the conventional tillage methods, using emulsified bituminous mulch under no-tillage soils caused the increases of 0.5-2degreesC for surface temperature during the seedling stage, above 18% for the number of maize seedling emergence, approximately 5% for maize yields, 21 mm for the 0-200 cm soil moisture contents, and 12 mm for water use during the growing season. The study provides information for improving tillage-mulching-fertilizer application management of dry farming.
  • Authors:
    • Xue, Y. F.
    • Yang, Z. J.
    • He, F.
    • Wang, Z. H.
    • Wu, J. C.
  • Source: Acta Agriculturae Boreali-Sinica
  • Volume: 20
  • Issue: 6
  • Year: 2005
  • Summary: The results of studies in dryland in the west of Henan Province showed that different technological measures played an important role in growth and development, yield, soil moisture and precipitation utilization of maize. The yield of maize in all 13 treatments in the experiment was improved by 1.92-20.51%. The best ones were the treatments of straw mulching combined with nutrient water-retaining agent, which increased the yield by 15.38-20.51%. The second ones were the treatments of nutrient water-retaining agent, which increased the yield by 11.53-14.10%. The efficiency of precipitation utilization in 13 treatments improved yield by 0.45-3.60 kg/mm/ha, respectively. The best ones were also the treatments of straw mulching combined with nutrient water-retaining agent, which increased the yield by 2.70-3.60 kg/mm/ha. The results of all treatments showed that the comprehensive technology is an effective way to improve precipitation utilization. The effect of nutrient water-retaining agent treatments was the best ones among all the treatments of water-saving agents.
  • Authors:
    • Li, Y. S.
    • Shao, M. A.
    • Zhong, L. P.
  • Source: Agricultural Sciences in China
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2005
  • Summary: Based on the experimental data of crop yield, soil water and fertility of a dryland farming ecosystem in northwest China, a systematic analysis is carried out using spring maize and winter wheat to study the dynamics of dryland farming ecosystem productivity and its limiting factors. This paper also discusses which of the two limiting factors, i.e., soil water or fertility, is the primary factor and their dynamics. The result shows that fertility is the primary limiting factor when the productivity is rather low. As chemical fertilizer input increases and the productivity promotes, water gradually becomes the primary limiting factor. Chemical fertilizers and plastic film mulching are the two major driving forces that determine the crop productivity and its stability in these areas.
  • Authors:
    • Zhou, G. Y.
    • Luo, J. J.
    • Stewart, B. A.
    • Yong, W.
    • Fan, T. L.
  • Source: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
  • Volume: 106
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2005
  • Summary: Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) and corn ( Zea mays L.) rotation system is important for food security in the Loess Plateau of China. Grain yield and water-use efficiency (WUE: grain yield per unit of water consumed) trends, and changes in soil properties during a 24-year fertilization experiment in Pingliang, Gansu, China, were recorded. Mean yields of wheat for the 16 years started in 1981 ranged from 1.29 t ha -1 for the unfertilized plots (CK) to 4.71 t ha -1 for the plots that received manure (M) annually with inorganic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers (MNP). Corn yields for the 6 years started in 1979 averaged 2.29 and 5.61 t ha -1 in the same treatments. Yields and WUEs declined significantly with lapse of time except CK and MNP for wheat. Wheat yields with the N and M declined at rate of 77 and 81 kg ha -1 year -1, but the decline of 57 kg ha -1 year -1 for NP was similar to that of 61 ha -1 year -1 for straw with N annually and P every second year (SNP). Likewise, the corn yields and WUEs declined from 160 to 250 kg ha -1 year -1 and from 0.01 to 0.03 kg m -3 year -1 among treatments, respectively. These declines were likely to loss of soil fertility and gradual dry weather. Yields were significantly correlated with seasonal evapotranspiration with slopes ranging from 0.5 to 1.27 kg m -3 for wheat and from 1.15 to 2.03 kg m -3 for corn. Soil organic carbon (SOC), total N (TN), and total P (TP) gradually built up with time except the CK, in which TN and TP remained unchanged but SOC and available P (AP) decreased. Soil AP decreased in the N. Soil available K declined rapidly without straw or manure. Balanced fertilization should be encouraged to ensure sustainable productivity in this intensive cropping system. The greatest SOC increases of about 160 mg ha -1 year -1 occurred in the SNP and MNP, suggesting that long-term additions of organic materials to soil could increase soil water-holding capacity which, in return, improves water availability to plants and arrests yield declines, and decrease CO 2 emission from agricultural soils and sustain land productivity.