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

Integration of Cash Crop Hedgerows and Balanced Fertilization to Control Soil and Water Losses

Summary:
Cash crop hedgerows (CCH) and balanced fertilizer (BF) technologies are proven more practical and applicable than the engineering terracing in controlling soil erosion from sloping farmlands. If proper shrub and herbage crops with small canopy and rooting system are used as the CCH, grain crop yield will not be negatively influenced. In general, grain yield will be affected remarkably from the third year if arbor trees with large canopy and extensive rooting systems are used. However, a combination of the CCH and BF can make up this negative impact. Above all, the CCH increased farmers’ income and achieved the goal of social and ecological benefits, so as to provide a new technology for safeguarding reconstruction of sloping farmland and sustainable agriculture.

Great progress in the development of CCH technology has been achieved, but some problems need further investigation: (1) more patterns and varieties of the CCHs suitable for different areas need to be found out, and planting techniques need to be improved, (2) whether or not this technology can be extended to a large scale depends on its market share and how much profit it can produce, (3) it is necessary to conduct further research on how to orientate the direction of hedgerow crop root and canopy growth in the fields to achieve an ideal and mutual beneficial growing condition with grain crops, and thus safeguard yield increase and economic profit, (4) to explore more uses for hedgerow crops, and (5) to strengthen training of local agricultural technicians and farmers. Due to less educated and poor in taking in new knowledge, farmers in hilly areas need government’s guidance and support through a seeing, learning and doing process to achieve the goal.

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