Scientific fertilization is particularly important to the development of China's agriculture

----Interview with Dr. Clive Rahn who is a famous agricultural ecological environmental expert in UK

Dr. Clive Rahn is a famous expert of agricultural ecological environmental in a UK research institutions, an Associate Fellow Warwick University，has been engaged in soil nutrition, soil fertilization and management of field and horticultural crops for a long time. He also has led several EU projects concerning the agricultural ecological environment. The reporter interviewed him as he had been invited to the Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University of Science and Technology for academic exchanges during the Agricultural High Technology Fair inYangling yesterday.

" What is your impression of the high speed development of China?, especially in the respect of agro-ecological environment?”

“I came to China for the first time in 1982, roads were full of bicycles at that time, but now replaced by a flood of cars，a very spectacular change. China’s development，its fast speed is like magic，has made a deep impression on me”

“Of course, not all aspects of China have changed so fast, such as Chinese food, lodging and so on. However, one area of relatively slow change which makes a deep impression, Clive Rahn points out seriously: “It is crop fertilization in the field.”

He made several points:“firstly, in the Chinese countryside, farmers mostly continue to use the traditional fertilization methods. The problem of blind over-fertilization is very serious. Few farmers use modern scientific fertilization methods that are available which recommend fertilizer applications when the plant is short of the fertilizer reducing the amounts of waste. Blind over-fertilization not only increases the cost of production but damages soil quality, and leads to pollution. Secondly, the expansion of the area of China’s greenhouse is very fast, and increasing. There are large amounts of irrigation and all kinds of fertilizers used, which also make the problems of excessive irrigation and fertilization more serious. Leading to more?? nitrate leaching and groundwater pollution. Thirdly, farmers don’t know what to do when faced with the myriad of fertilizers available from the complex fertilizer market. Fourthly, whilst the advanced-technology of “Agricultural High Technology Fair” looks seemingly close to farmers, the “last step”，the transfer to farmers is very difficult.

“Whilst China's GDP is in a leading position in the world, it needs to match it with a good agricultural ecological environment. In this sense, scientific fertilization is particularly important and urgent in China's agricultural development.”

“Doctor, do you have any good suggestions? What route has been taken in the ?European Union to avoid such problems Clive said: “the European Union has established many laws and regulations, such as“the Nitrate Directive and Water Framework Directive." Each country within Europe has refined its laws and regulations to suit local conditions. The times when chemical fertilizer can be applied, there are strictly regulated and protected by law in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. English farmers have a national “Crop Fertilizer Recommendation Handbook ". The good news is that the Chinese government has started to promote the 'measuring of soil nitrogen’and other schemes for better fertilization, but the efforts are still not very strong. There is a need to transfer knowledge from research to the farmers and "this ‘last step" is a big problem. There is a big need to establish an effective "promotion system". The system needs not only talented person's, but also more capital investment, science and technology, changes in law and society as a whole. For improved practices in China based on scientific evidence the step between research and practice must be shortened. "

Shaanxi Daily Reporter: Wu Dun
November 27, 2012