Fertilizer Use on Different Upland Cropping Systems for Soil Conservation in Yunnan

Balanced fertilization plus alley cropping with different hedgerow cash crops is a profitable and effective new approach to combat soil erosion and water losses in Sichuan province in southwest China when compared to engineered terraces. This new technique is now being transferred to other parts of China. The objective of this project, conducted in Yunnan province, is to provide more evidence to support further extension of this technique locally and nationwide.

Two experiments, one initiated in 1999 in Xiangyun county and the other in 2000 in Fuming county, were established on two different types of erosive soils. Results in Xiangyun county, compared to farmer practice, show yields of wheat and corn increased by 1,160, 1,280 and 1,030 kg/ha by using farmer down-slope cultivation plus balanced fertilizers, contour cultivation plus balanced fertilizers, and contour cultivation plus balanced fertilizers and hedgerows, respectively. Soil loss was reduced for the above three treatments by 3.29 t/ha (58 percent), 3.98 t/ha (70 percent) and 4.67 t/ha (83 percent), respectively, compared to farmer practice which resulted in 5.6 t soil loss/ha. The treatment of farmer practice plus hedgerows was ineffective since it not only reduced crop yields, but also had little effect on reducing soil erosion. A similar trend was seen in Fuming county.

This new technology can be adopted on 2 million ha of sloping lands in Yunnan province and could increase phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) consumption in Yunnan by 30 to 130 and 90 to 120 kg/ha, respectively. YUNNAN-09