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

The practice of alley-cropping is a profitable and effective new alternative to engineered terraces if it employs both a variety of hedgerow cash crops and balanced fertilization. This project is part of an effort to spread the adoption of this practice into regions like Yunnan Province, which is seriously affected by soil erosion problems. It will also provide more data on the suitability of the cropping system for further extension locallyand natinwide.

In Xiangyun county, farmer practice consists of down slope cultivation without balanced fertilization. This practice was compared to down slope cultivation with balanced fertilization, contour cultivation with balanced fertilization, and hedgerow cropping. These three treatments increased the yields of corn and pea by 102, 220, and 990 kg/ha, respectively. Total soil loss with the farmer practice treatment was 42.8 t/ha, but this was reduced by 5.4 t/ha (13 percent), 35.9 t/ha (84 percent), and 36.3 t/ha (85 percent) with down slope cultivation with balanced fertilization, contour cultivation with balanced fertilization, and hedgerow cropping, respectively.

In Fuming county, yields of corn and potato increased by 3,260, and 1,080 kg/ha with farmer down slope cultivation plus balanced fertilization, and hedgerow cropping, but decreased by 384 kg/ha with contour cultivation plus balanced fertilization. Total soil loss using farmer practice was 5.6 t/ha, but this was reduced by 2 t/ha (35 percent), 3.5 t/ha (60 percent), and 5.3 t/ha (92 percent) for the above three test treatments. Adoption of the new technology can be applied on 2 million hectares (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