Closing yield gaps in China by empowering smallholder farmers

Zhang, Weifeng; Guo-xin, Cao; Li, Xin; Zhang, Hongyan; Wang, Chong; Quan-qing, Liu; Chen, Xinping; Cui, Zhenling; Shen, Jianbo; Jiang, Rongfeng; Mi, Guohua; Miao, Yuxin; Zhang, Fusuo; Dou, Zhengxia

doi:10.1038/nature19368

Cited by 435 publications

(230 citation statements)

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“…This difference may be due to the different study years and methods for obtaining yields: Liang and Meng's studies were conducted in 2004-2005 and 2007-2008 by surveying farmers. The increase in the yield on farms that we studied may also be due to the extension of agricultural technologies, e.g., more farmers being trained to achieve higher maize yields since Liang and Meng's research [9,53].…”

Section: Yield and Pfp N On Farmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The relative contribution of plant density according to the boundary line approach was only slightly higher than that of other management factors in Laoling and Quzhou. Zhang et al (2016) showed that a single technology such as increasing plant density can increase the maize yield to varying extents in 55 single-factor field experiments [9]. Others have shown that increasing plant density is likely to improve maize biomass and PFP N for both medium and high N inputs [43,47,48].…”

Section: Effects Of Plant Density and N Application On Yield And Pfp Nmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since smallholder farmers' fields are small and scattered, farmers lack the economies of scale, and are easily affected by infrastructural and socioeconomic situations [9,[62][63][64], leading to this high variability [61]. However, the interannual variation of PFP N was larger than that of the yield at all three sites; e.g., the interannual variation of yields in Laoling had a CV of 2.6%, but that of PFP N was 22.9%, the largest of the three sites.…”

Section: Variation Of Yield and Pfp N On Farmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At each site, a village with a Science and Technology Backyard (STB; [9]) was selected: Nanxia village in Laoling county; Yangong village in Xushui county; and Wangzhuang village in Quzhou county. There were 244 fields selected randomly for research in 2015 (86, 44, and 114 fields in Laoling, Xushui, and Quzhou, respectively) and 192 fields in 2016 (74, 50, and 68 of the fields in Laoling, Xushui, and Quzhou, respectively).…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors Affecting Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Grain Yield of Summer Maize on Smallholder Farms in the North China Plain

et al. 2018

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Abstract:The summer maize yields and partial factor productivity of nitrogen (N) fertilizer (PFP N , grain yield per unit N fertilizer) on smallholder farms in China are low, and differ between farms due to complex, sub-optimal management practices. We collected data on management practices and yields from smallholder farms in three major summer maize-producing sites-Laoling, Quzhou and Xushui-in the North China Plain (NCP) for two growing seasons, during 2015-2016. Boundary line analysis and a Proc Mixed Model were used to evaluate the contribution of individual factors and their interactions. Summer maize grain yields and PFP N ranged from 6.6 t ha −1 to 14.2 t ha −1 and 15.4 kg kg −1 to 96.1 kg kg −1 , respectively, and averaged 10.5 t ha −1 and 49.1 kg kg −1 , respectively. The mean total yield gap and PFP N gap were 3.6 t ha −1 and 43.3 kg kg −1 in Laoling, 2.2 t ha −1 and 24.5 kg kg −1 in Xushui, and 2.8 t ha −1 and 41.1 kg kg −1 in Quzhou. A positive correlation was observed between the yield gap and PFP N gap; the PFP N gap could be reduced by 6.0 kg kg −1 (3.6-6.6 kg kg −1 ) by reducing the yield gap by 1 t ha −1 . The high yield and high PFP N (HH) fields had a higher plant density and lower N fertilization rate than the low yield and low PFP N (LL) fields. Our results show that multiple management factors caused the yield gap, but the relative contribution of plant density is slightly higher than that of other management practices, such as N input, the sowing date, and potassium fertilizer input. The low PFP N was mainly attributed to an over-application of N fertilizer. To enhance the sustainable production of summer maize, the production gaps should be tackled through programs that guide smallholder farmers on the adoption of optimal management practices.

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Section: Yield and Pfp N On Farmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Effects Of Plant Density and N Application On Yield And Pfp Nmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Variation Of Yield and Pfp N On Farmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Factors Affecting Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Grain Yield of Summer Maize on Smallholder Farms in the North China Plain

et al. 2018

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“…At the smallholder scale, effective organization enables smallholders to increase grain production [111]. Strengthening crop nutrition and water management will significantly increase crop yields [112].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis Framework of China’s Grain Production System: A Spatial Resilience Perspective

Long

et al. 2017

Sustainability

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China's grain production has transformed from absolute shortage to a current structural oversupply. High-intensity production introduced further challenges for the eco-environment, smallholder livelihood, and the man-land interrelationship. Driven by urban-rural transformation, research on food security patterns and grain production has expanded into a new field. To analyze the challenges and required countermeasures for China's grain production system (GPS), this study constructed a theoretical GPS framework based on space resilience. Firstly, a new GPS concept was proposed and a functional system was established for protecting the regional food security, thus guaranteeing smallholder livelihood, stabilizing urban-rural transformation, and sustaining the eco-environment in terms of economic, social, and ecological attributes of the GPS. Secondly, based on a cross-scale interaction analysis that varied from a smallholder scale to a global scale, the systematic crisis of the GPS was analyzed. Thirdly, a cross-scale analytic framework of the GPS was formed from the perspective of spatial resilience, integrating both inner and external disturbance factors of the GPS. Both spatial heterogeneity and connectivity of internal and external disturbance factors are important contents of system space resilience. Finally, the hierarchy of spatial resilience of GPS became clear. The transformation of labor force and the land use transition form key thresholds of the GPS. In summary: based on protecting the basic functions of the GPS, the cross-scale effect of systematic disturbance factors and relevant countermeasures for spatial resilience are effectively influenced by the coordination of the interests of multiple stakeholders; spatial resilience is an effective analytical tool for GPS regulation, providing a reference for revealing the inherent mechanism and functional evolution of the GPS in the process of urban-rural transformation.

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Effects of fertilizer management strategies on maize yield and nitrogen use efficiencies under different densities

Wang

et al. 2020

Agronomy Journal

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Rational plant density and fertilizer management are important practices to improve maize (Zea mays L.) yield and nutrient use efficiency. Previous research indicated that plant density and fertilization had positive interaction on maize yield and N utilization. The research studied on the interactive effects of slow‐released fertilizer (added amino acid polymer biological preparation) and density on maize yield and nitrogen use efficiencies (NUEs). A 2‐yr field experiment with varieties Suyu29 (SY29) or Suyu30 (SY30) was conducted using a split‐split plot design. Three densities (6.0, 7.5, and 9.0 × 104 plants per ha) and three fertilization modes (0F‐no fertilizer, SF‐one‐time application of slow‐released fertilizer, and CF‐twice application of conventional fertilizer) were assigned. Results indicated that grain yields and NUEs of SF under 7.5 × 104 plants per ha were the highest both in SY29 and SY30. Compared with CF under 7.5 × 104 plants per ha, SF could improve pre‐ and post‐silking N uptake and promote N translocation from stalk and leaf into grain, which increased its contribution efficiency to grain N content and obtained higher NUE. The average N partial productivity, N agronomic efficiency, N recovery efficiency, and N absorption efficiency of SF were 5.3, 9.9, 20.1, and 11.4% higher than CF under 7.5 plants × 104 plants per ha. Increasing plant density, the grain yield, total N accumulation, and NUEs initially increased and then decreased both in SF and CF. These results suggest that one‐time application of SF combined with appropriate density could increase maize yield and NUE under our experiment condition.

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Closing yield gaps in China by empowering smallholder farmers

Cited by 435 publications

References 28 publications

Factors Affecting Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Grain Yield of Summer Maize on Smallholder Farms in the North China Plain

Factors Affecting Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Grain Yield of Summer Maize on Smallholder Farms in the North China Plain

Analysis Framework of China’s Grain Production System: A Spatial Resilience Perspective

Effects of fertilizer management strategies on maize yield and nitrogen use efficiencies under different densities

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