Evolution of soil and water conservation in rain-fed areas of China

Rain-fed (dryland) farming is an ancient agricultural production system in China. It occurs widely across almost the whole country, especially in the Northwest and North China. The semi-arid Loess Plateau is the most important region of rain-fed farming in China, but unfortunately, soil erosion on the Loess Plateau area is the highest in China, and indeed amongst the highest in the world. This highlights the necessity for developing practices that can reduce soil and water erosion, improve soil water use efficiency, improve crop productivity, and reduce rural poverty in the region. Many techniques of soil and water conservation are being used in rain-fed areas of China, including such systems as mulch, ridge and furrow systems. The Appendix describes a unique system of soil and water conservation, called Shatian.Modern research on conservation tillage (No Till), although essential for reducing erosion, increasing crop productivity, and ameliorating poverty, is just beginning in China. Modern conservation tillage research started in the1990s' with support from Australia and other countries. The procedures, however, were modified to be in accord with local conditions and prevailing farmer experiences. With 10 years of experimentation, results show that the most successful conservation practice on the Western Loess Plateau is no till with stubble retention. This technique helps to conserve soil water, increases soil organic carbon, improves soil structure and water infiltration, reduces soil and water erosion, and improves crop productivity and sustainability of rain-fed farming systems. However, its adoption rate remains low due to barriers such as traditional attitude, insufficient rural extension, and so forth.