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12. Yellow River Rainfed Conservation Agriculture

Full Title:

Conservation Agriculture for the Dryland Areas of the Yellow River Basin: Increasing the Productivity, Sustainability, Equity and Water Use Efficiency of Dryland Agriculture, while Protecting Downstream Water Users

Website:

http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/theme1/PN12.htm

Download project proposal [PDF 132Kb]

This project seeks to develop and foster the adoption of conservation agricultural practices in China’s Yellow river basin. Soil erosion is a major problem in the Yellow river basin: the river is one of the most sediment- laden in the world. Although the areas targeted by the CPWF are not the most erosion-prone, the more sloping areas where rain-fed crops are grown, do demonstrate often alarming levels of soil loss, due to both water and wind erosion. Although there is a rainfall gradient from 750 mm/yr. in southern Shandong, to 200 mm/yr. in northern Ningxia, most of the rain-fed cropping area is in regions with more than 400 mm of rainfall per year. The proposed project will concentrate in these areas.

Conservation agriculture (featuring reduced or zero tillage, mulch retention, crop rotations and cover crops) offers a possible solution. Conservation agricultural systems typically result in increased crop water availability and agroecosystem productivity, reduced soil erosion, increased soil organic matter and nutrient availability, reduced labor and fuel use and increased biological control of pests.  Today, conservation agricultural systems cover more than 70 million hectares worldwide, including important areas in Brazil, India, Pakistan and Ghana where these practices are used by smallholders.

Several advances with zero tillage and conservation agriculture have been made in recent years in the northern Provinces of China. However, most, but not all, of these projects have been in irrigated areas. Experiences with zero tillage in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei and Inner Mongolia have been positive. It is in the light of these results and the considerable benefits observed by small farmers in other regions of the world that the project aims to help farmers adapt conservation agriculture to the rain-fed production areas of the Yellow river basin.

The project goal is to improve the incomes and livelihoods of smallholder farm families in the rain-fed cropping areas of Henan, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Shandong while simultaneously improving soil quality and reducing land degradation and soil erosion that threaten system sustainability. Specific objectives include fostering farm family adoption of conservation agricultural practices through participatory research, farmer experimentation and farmer-to-farmer interaction and extension; assessing the (biophysical, social and economic) consequences of the adoption of conservation agriculture; encouraging a policy environment that does not discriminate against conservation agriculture; and strengthening the capacity of local partners. Project partners include two international Centers (CIMMYT and IWMI) and several NARES institutions. Project beneficiaries are expected to include farm families; downstream water users; researchers and extension workers; and future generations.