Improving Livelihoods on Shaanxi Farms by reducing non-point N Pollution through Improved Nutrient Management
Brief introduction
A key aim of UK and Chinese government policy is to improve livelihoods of poor citizens in rural areas of central and western China. Use of nitrogen (N) fertilizer by poor farmers in the less developed areas of China is an essential element in increasing incomes through increased crop production. However, throughout China, there is a major problem of over-use of N fertilizer. This wastage leads to a financial burden on farmers, particularly the poor, and causes serious environmental pollution. It is therefore timely to include consideration of this issue as an integral part of the rural development strategy for Shaanxi Province and use the advice system developed as a model for other central and western Provinces.
In addition to the above benefits, this project will have global impact due to the large and inefficient usage of N fertilizer in China ¨C China accounts for about one third of the world total usage of N fertilizer and increases in efficiency of use of 30 -50% or even more can be envisaged. A more rational use of N fertilizer leading to decreased losses of N will lead to: (1) decreased flow of nitrate from China¡¯s rivers; (2) Decreased emissions of nitrous oxide and ammonia to the atmosphere with benefits for climate change mitigation (nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas) and the eutrophication and acidification of terrestrial and aquatic systems through re-deposition of ammonia and oxides of nitrogen; (3) A slowing in the demand for N fertilizer in China thus decreasing carbon dioxide emissions from its manufacture.
The overall objective of this project is to provide access for poor farmers to information that will enable them to use N fertilizer in a rational way in order to increase crop yields and economic returns whilst avoiding environmental pollution and wastage of resources. Key elements are:
- Assessment of Farmer and Community Perceptions to understand reasons for current N overuse. This is a critical to ensure correct targeting of the programme: ensure ¡°buy-in¡± by stakeholders; determine the economic versus environmental thresholds that establish farmers¡¯ behaviour and willingness of farmers, government officials, policy makers and communities to use possible N advice systems. This study will also draw attention to policy issues that influence decision making.
- Collation and analysis of relevant technical data on rates and timing of N fertilizer relevant to the environment (climate, soils, cropping systems) of Shaanxi Province. To include response of yields and economic returns to N application and, where available, information on N losses and efficiency of use of N. This will lead to conclusions on appropriate N management practices (quantity, timing, relationship with irrigation) for the crops grown in the region, taking account of (1) yield expectation and N requirement (2) other sources of N (3) the output from 1) above. This data analysis will also provide a basis for evaluating some of the delivery systems to be considered (point 4 below). This analysis will cover maize and wheat in view of the large areas used for these crops. Decisions will be made on selecting a small number of key vegetable and greenhouse crops (due to large N application rates and influence on subsequent crop). Apple orchards will also be included in view of their area and large N application rates.
- Farm based experiments. It is expected that the majority of data available will be from experiment stations. Based on an initial scoping study, it will be decided whether a series of farm-based experiments and measurements would be informative.
- Information delivery systems. The results of the analyses (points 2 and 3 above) will inform decisions regarding appropriate methods for communicating information to farmers. At this stage we are not being prescriptive about the mode of delivery. Possibilities to be explored include (a) a modelling and decision support system using GIS technology such as that developed in an ACIAR-funded project in the North China Plain or a system using mobile phones being developed at CAAS; (b) approaches based on simple tables of fertilizer rates derived from either model outputs (pre-run for a range of representative situations), analysis of response curves or from estimated N budgets. Participatory work with farmers will be required to assess the acceptability and understandability of different possible methods. Particular attention will be given to poor and women farmers who have limited access to technical information often due to illiteracy. It is envisaged that specialist in visual communications will play a key part in this.
- Assessment of in-field measurement devices. A range of measurements are possible, some of which have been developed or tested in other parts of China. They include chlorophyll meters (measuring leaf greenness), nitrate concentration in plant sap, nitrate content of soil during the growing season (through soil sampling or nitrate electrodes), and nitrate in irrigation water. None can be directly interpreted to give a fertilizer recommendation but can be used to adjust or ¡°fine tune¡± a more general recommendation or reveal unexpectedly high (or low) availabilities of N in specific situations. Measurements could be conducted in individual farmers¡¯ fields or at regional benchmark sites. Participation of farmers, possibly through farmer associations, will be essential in determining the practicability of such measurements for Shaanxi farmers and taking account of cost, accuracy and interpretability of each measurement.
Analysis of Delivery Systems. One or more of the delivery systems will be tested in collaboration with farmers. Complementary approaches such as farmer field schools and farmer-trains-farmer approaches will be used. The latter has been very effective in relation to integrated pest management in southern China and it is proposed to explore this approach in relation to nutrient management in Shaanxi. This should build on the work of CAU and the CAS China Centre for Agricultural Policy on expanding the role of Farmer Organisations.
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