A Perspective on Organic Agriculture in China - Opportunities and Challenges

With the rapid development of international production and trade in organic food, organic agriculture is also boosting in China. The milestone of Chinese organic agri-culture was set in 1990 with the first export of a certified organic product (tea) from Lin’an county of Zhejiang Province, China, which marked the launch of organic pro-duction in China. By the end of 2005, there had been about 4.384 million ha organic land, including 1.694 million ha organic, 0.61 million ha conversion as well as 2.08 million ha collection area, about half of which is certified area. About 4.93 million tons organic products and nearly 1600 projects had been certified with 300~400 varieties. According to the above data, now China ranks the 3rd largest country of organic production in the world. In China, organic development mostly is export oriented, the export products include beans, rice, tea, mushroom, vegetable, processed oil and herbs, etc. According to the certifying body COFCC of Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), the value of exported organic products increased from 0.3 million USD in 1995 to 0.35 billion USD at the end of the year 2004. Chinese domestic organic market started from 2000. Presently, most of the products sold in domestic markets are certified by COFCC and OFDC in some largest cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing and Shenzhen, etc. The price of the organic products is often up to 3 times the price of conventional products. Average organic food consumption accounts for 0.08% of the conventional food (LI 2006)

Addressing China's grand challenge of achieving food security while ensuring environmental sustainability

China’s increasingly urbanized and wealthy population is driving a growing and changing demand for food, which might not be met without significant increase in agricultural productivity and sustainable use of natural resources. Given the past relationship between lack of access to affordable food and political instability, food security has to be given a high priority on national political agendas in the context of globalization. The drive for increased food production has had a significant impact on the environment, and the deterioration in ecosystem quality due to historic and current levels of pollution will potentially compromise the food production system in China. We discuss the grand challenges of not only producing more food but also producing it sustainably and without environmental degradation. In addressing these challenges, food production should be considered as part of an environmental system (soil, air, water, and biodiversity) and not independent from it. It is imperative that new ways of meeting the demand for food are developed while safeguarding the natural resources upon which food production is based. We present a holistic approach to both science and policy to ensure future food security while embracing the ambition of achieving environmental sustainability in China. It is a unique opportunity for China to be a role model as a new global player, especially for other emerging economies

Effects of NO (3) (-) -N on the growth and salinity tolerance of Tamarix laxa Willd

The influence of NO (3) (-) -N on growth and osmotic adjustment was studied in Tamarix laxa Willd., a halophyte with salt glands on its twigs. Seedlings of T. laxa Willd. were exposed to 1 mM (control) or 300 mM NaCl, with 0.05, 1 or 10 mM NO (3) (-) -N for 24 days. The relative growth rate of seedlings at 300 mM NaCl was lower than that of control plants at all NO (3) (-) -N levels, but the concentrations of organic N and total N in the twigs did not differ between the two NaCl treatments. Increasing NO (3) (-) supply under 300 mM NaCl improved the growth of T. laxa, indicating that NO (3) (-) played positive roles in improving salt resistance of the plant. The twigs of T. laxa Willd. accumulated mainly inorganic ions, especially Na+ and Cl-, to lower osmotic potential (Is): the contributions of Na+ and Cl- to Is were estimated at 31% and 27% respectively, at the highest levels of supply of both NaCl and NO (3) (-) -N. The estimated contribution of NO (3) (-) -N to Is was as high as 20% in the twigs in these conditions, indicating that NO (3) (-) was also involved in osmotic adjustment in the twigs. Furthermore, increases in tissue NO (3) (-) were accompanied by decreases in tissue Cl- and proline under 300 mM NaCl. The estimated contribution of proline to Is declined as with NO (3) (-) -N supply increased from 1 to 10 mM, while the contributions of nitrate to Is were enhanced under 300 mM NaCl. This suggested that higher accumulation of nitrate in the vacuole alleviated the effects of salinity stress on the plant by balancing the osmotic potential. In conclusion, NO (3) (-) -N played both nutritional and osmotic roles in T. laxa Willd. in saline conditions

Enrichment of soil fertility and salinity by tamarisk in saline soils on the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert

To better understand the influence of Tamarix spp. (tamarisk shrubs) on soil fertility and salinity and the implication for saline soil management in northwestern China, several soil physical and chemical characteristics were measured beneath tamarisk canopies from the upper, middle, and lower regions of the Taklamakan Desert alluvial plain. The measured properties included soil organic matter (SOM), plant-available phosphorus (P), extractable soil potassium (K) soil electric conductivity (EC), sodium (Na+), total potassium (K+), and pH. The enrichment ratios for soil nutrients (i.e., available P. extractable K, and SOM) and salinity (i.e., EC, Na+, K+, and pH) were used to evaluate fertility and salinity islands in tamarisk mounds. SOM, available P, and extractable K were higher within mounds than in open, tamarisk-free land in each of the three sampled locations. The SOM enrichment ratios were highest at the middle region of the alluvial plain and lowest at the lower region of the alluvial plain, a pattern that is consistent with the growth patterns of tamarisk plants. The variation in SOM enrichment ratios in surface soils was mainly affected by the shoot biomass of tamarisk shrubs. The positive effect of tamarisk on soil fertility indicates that tamarisk may be beneficial for vegetation restoration and improving utilization of saline land. Nevertheless, soil salinity and pH increased under tamarisk canopy, especially EC and K+ in surface soil from the middle alluvial plain. The EC enrichment ratio was highest in the middle alluvial plain and, depending on soil depth, lowest in the upper and lower alluvial plain. These results reflect negative effects of tamarisk on soil chemical characteristics. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

The importance of aboveground and belowground interspecific interactions in determining crop growth and advantages of peanut/maize intercropping

Intercropping of maize (Zea mays L.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) often results in greater yields than the respective sole crops. However, there is limited knowledge of aboveground and belowground interspecific interactions between maize and peanut in field. A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of interspecific interactions on plant growth and grain yield for a peanut/maize intercropping system under different nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) levels. The method of root separation was employed to differentiate belowground from aboveground interspecific interactions. We observed that the global interspecific interaction effect on the shoot biomass of the intercropping system decreased with the coexistence period, and belowground interaction contributed more than aboveground interaction to advantages of the intercropping in terms of shoot biomass and grain yield. There was a positive effect from aboveground and belowground interspecific interactions on crop plant growth in the intercropping system, except that aboveground interaction had a negative effect on peanut during the late coexistence period. The advantage of intercropping on grain came mainly from increased maize yield (means 95%) due to aboveground interspecific competition for light and belowground interaction (61%72% vs. 28%-39% in fertilizer treatments). There was a negative effect on grain yield from aboveground interaction for peanut, but belowground interspecific interaction positively affected peanut grain yield. The supply of N, P, or N + P increased grain yield of intercropped maize and the contribution from aboveground interspecific interaction. Our study suggests that the advantages of peanut/maize intercropping for yield mainly comes from aboveground interspecific competition for maize and belowground interspecific facilitation for peanut, and their respective yield can be enhanced by N and P. These findings are important for managing the intercropping system and optimizing the benefits from using this system. (C) 2021 Crop Science Society of China and Institute of Crop Science, CAAS. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd

An analysis of China's grain production: Looking back and looking forward

Ensuring food security is the foundation of economic development and social stability. China is historically a country that is dominated by agriculture. In the past 60 years, China's total grain output increased by fivefold, from 113 million tons (MT) in 1949 to 571 MT in 2011, a statistic which provides inspiration to producers in other parts of the world. Grain production per capita doubled, from 209 to 425 kg during the same time period. At the national scale, China has succeeded in maintaining a basic self-sufficiency for grain for the past three decades. However, with the increasing population pressure and a growing appetite for animal products, China will need 776 MT grain by 2030 to feed its own people, a net increase of 35.9% from its best year on record. China's drive for future food security is challenged by problems such as low efficiency of resource use and resource limitation, diminishing return in yield response, competition for nonagricultural land uses, and environmental degradation. In this article, we analyze historical, temporal, and spatial variation in total grain production as well as the overall developing trends of current and future grain production, and discussed relevant options to overcome production constraints and further promote agricultural production.</p

Potential sources and occurrence of macro-plastics and microplastics pollution in farmland soils: A typical case of China

Plastic debris (including macro-plastics, microplastics (MPs), and nanoplastics), defined as an emerging contaminant, has been proven to significantly affect soil ecosystem functioning. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to robustly quantify the pollution situation and potential sources of plastics in soils. China as the leading producer and user of agricultural plastics is analyzed as a typical case study to highlight the current situation of farmland macro-plastics and MPs. Our study summarized information on the occurrence and abundance of macro-plastics and MPs in Chinese farmland soils for the first time based on 163 publications with 728 sample sites. The results showed that the average concentration of macro-plastics, and the abundance of MPs in Chinese farmlands were 103 kg ha−1 and 4537 items kg−1 (dry soil), respectively. In addition, this study synthesized the latest scientific evidence on sources of macro-plastics and MPs in farmland soils. Agricultural plastic films and organic wastes are the most reported sources, indicating that they contribute significantly to plastic debris in agricultural soils. Furthermore, the modeling methods for quantifying macro-plastics and MPs in soils and estimating the stock and flow of plastic materials within agricultural systems were also summarize