Soil Fertility Quality and Agricultural Sustainable Development in the Black Soil Region of Northeast China

The black soil in northeast China is considered one of the most fertile soils in China. Consequently, the black soil region has become one of the most important regions for cereal grain production in China. Agriculture has developed rapidly since the early part of the nineteenth century. To date, approximately 70 percent of total land in the area is cultivated. Even though the agricultural production in this region is increasing continuously, some soil fertility quality problems have become serious. This is hampering agricultural development and sustainability in the region. A brief history of population growth and agricultural development in the region is presented. Major soil quality problems, particularly soil degradation and soil erosion, are analyzed. Based on studies, suggestions for improving soil quality and for promoting sustainable agricultural development in the region are presented. These suggestions include improving agricultural landscape patterns, developing conservation cultivation, promoting combinations of crop production with combinations of forestry and animal husbandry, and implementing integrated management for soil and water conservation.     

Agricultural productivity and environmental insecurity in the Usangu plain, Tanzania: policy implications for sustainability of agriculture

Sustainable agricultural development is a necessity for sustainable economic growth and social development in Africa. Sustainable agriculture largely depends on how effective natural and environmental resources are managed and utilized; it also depends on the security of continuous access to such resources. This research was aimed to look into trends in agricultural productivity, examine the persistence of the environmental insecurity, analyze the relationship between the two, and explore their links to the national development policies. The results are discussed in the context of relevance to national development policies and their implications on the sustainability of agriculture and rural livelihoods security. Literature survey, records collection from the stakeholders, village level participatory assessments (PAs), observations and questionnaire survey were tools used for data collection. The study shows significant (P < 0.01) declines in cereal crop yields, cattle milk yield and cattle calving rate, and increasing cattle mortality rate. Elements of environmental insecurity were found to account for decline in agricultural productivity; significant (P < 0.01) proportion (68%), of 266 households interviewed, reported land resources deterioration, declining soil fertility, and increasing drought frequencies as the causes of their low productivity. Declined fertilizer consumption and increasing variability in rainfall amount significantly (P < 0.01) accounted for 59% and 39%, respectively, of the variations observed in total annual production of rice and maize, which are major cereals in the study area. This study recommends measures to improve soil productivity such as improved fertilizer application and use of organic manures along with mineral fertilizers for maintaining soil productivity; education of farmers on sustainable use and management of land resources; and pro-poor rural policies in agricultural development and environmental governance. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

中国未来的粮食安全与生态可持续性问题研究——基于粮食生产过程生态足迹的实证分析

自然资源与农业生态可持续开发是保障农业生产与粮食安全可持续发展的基础。随着我国人口的增长以及人们生活水平的提高,粮食需求量逐年增加。这不但加剧了我国人多地少的矛盾,还给我国农业资源与生态的可持续发展带来了挑战。利用计量模型测算出我国人口高峰时粮食安全背景下粮食生产活动的生态足迹,然后依据生态足迹指数法判断其生态可持续性状况。结果显示,按照目前的粮食生产模式依靠自给实现粮食安全,我国人均生态足迹指数将出现负值。这意味着我国农业生态将处于不可持续的状态。解决我国“粮食 耕地”矛盾与“粮食 生态”矛盾,实现粮食安全与农业生态的协调可持续发展,一方面需要把我国目前依靠要素投入的粗放式粮食生产模式转向生态友好型的种植模式;另一方面需要改变我国依靠自给的粮食安全保障模式,通过适当降低我国的粮食自给率、增加粮食进口缓解我国农业资源与生态环境的压力。这对我国未来的农业发展道路以及粮食安全政策都具有重要的参考价值     

基于敏感度分析的江苏省粮食生产与耕地数量变化动态响应研究

江苏省作为我国重要的粮食生产基地,其耕地资源变化不仅影响区域的可持续发展,更关系国家的粮食安全。以江苏省55个县域为研究单元,结合数理统计和GIS空间分析,研究2000～2015年江苏省耕地与粮食生产的时空演变及粮食生产对耕地资源变化的敏感程度。结果表明:(1)江苏省耕地总体呈减少趋势,其中耕地相对稀疏区主要分布在苏锡常地区,而集聚区主要分布在苏北;粮食生产的空间格局与耕地分布基本一致,但总量呈增加趋势,2015年江苏省粮食产量达到3561×10~4 t,为2000年的1.15倍。(2)耕地重心与粮食产量重心的移动方位大致相同,均表现为向北偏西方向移动。(3)对比2000～2009年和2009～2015年两个时期,江苏省粮食产量对耕地资源变化的敏感性逐渐减弱。随着农业技术的发展,区域粮食生产对耕地面积的依赖程度逐渐降低,保护耕地与保障粮食安全亟需因地制宜,针对不同敏感性地区合理布局粮食生产。     

Consumptive water footprint and virtual water trade scenarios for China — With a focus on crop production,consumption and trade

The study assesses green and blue water footprints (WFs) and virtual water (VW) trade in China under alternative scenarios for 2030 and 2050, with a focus on crop production, consumption and trade. We consider five driving factors of change: climate, harvested crop area, technology, diet, and population. Four scenarios (S1–S4) are constructed by making use of three of IPCC's shared socio-economic pathways (SSP1–SSP3) and two of IPCC's representative concentration pathways (RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5) and taking 2005 as the baseline year. Results show that, across the four scenarios and for most crops, the green and blue WFs per tonne will decrease compared to the baseline year, due to the projected crop yield increase, which is driven by the higher precipitation and CO₂ concentration under the two RCPs and the foreseen uptake of better technology. The WF per capita related to food consumption decreases in all scenarios. Changing to the less-meat diet can generate a reduction in the WF of food consumption of 44% by 2050. In all scenarios, as a result of the projected increase in crop yields and thus overall growth in crop production, China will reverse its role from net VW importer to net VW exporter. However, China will remain a big net VW importer related to soybean, which accounts for 5% of the WF of Chinese food consumption (in S1) by 2050. All scenarios show that China could attain a high degree of food self-sufficiency while simultaneously reducing water consumption in agriculture. However, the premise of realizing the presented scenarios is smart water and cropland management, effective and coherent policies on water, agriculture and infrastructure, and, as in scenario S1, a shift to a diet containing less meat.     

我国耕地资源生态安全的时空差异分析

在分析耕地资源生态安全内涵、特征和影响因素的基础上,构建了耕地资源生态安全评价指标体系,通过对我国耕地资源生态安全的动态变化分析,发现改革开放以来耕地资源生态安全程度呈先增后减的变化趋势,安全综合值先从1981年的0.891 8上升到1990年的0.941 0,随后又下降到2004年的0639 0。从2004年各省份的安全程度来看,安全状况差异非常明显,且经济发达省份的安全水平通常低于经济相对落后省份;通过障碍因素分析发现,改革开放前期的障碍因素主要是农民人均纯收入、财政支农等社会经济因素,中后期则转变为农药施用量、氮肥所占的比重等直接和间接影响因素,在各省份障碍因素中,单位耕地面积农药施用量、氮肥所占的比重、农村人均纯收入、耕地资源生态安全保护意识是最主要因素,经济发达省份障碍因素主要集中在直接和间接影响因素中,而经济相对落后省份则集中在社会经济因素。出台耕地资源生态安全保护法规和分区保护政策有助于提高我国耕地资源生态安全状况。     

我国粮食生产布局变化特点及其成因分析

建国以来,我国粮食生产呈波浪型上了四个台阶,粮食总产量分别达到２亿ｔ、３亿ｔ、４亿ｔ、ｔｗｎ ｔ。总的来说,粮食产量呈现超伏涨落但缓慢上升的趋势。过去５０年,我国的粮食生产及布局发生了巨大的变化。首先,粮食增长逐渐由以前的单产和总产并重转变为以提高单为主。其次,粮食结构也发生了变化,很长一段时间,我国的粮食增长主要信赖于水稻增产,８０年代以后,水稻在粮食生产中的比重迅速下降,而小麦和玉米所占比重帽     

论水稻土肥力进化与土壤质量——以太湖地区为例

太湖地区是我国古老农业区之一。在六七千年之前先民已开始种植水稻 ,随着耕作培肥措施不断加强 ,与土壤肥力进化同步伴随着耕作轮作制的不断演进 ,由轮荒———沤田———水旱轮作———三熟制的变化 ,土壤基础肥力稳步提高 ,稻麦单位面积产量逐年上升。该区水稻土历经数千年的耕肥与平田整地等人为活动 ,在起源土壤背景上发育成五类水稻土 ,这五类水稻土经过培肥改良均达到水旱轮作高产稳产阶段 ,尽管地力上还存在不同程度的差异 ,这不能不说是人为定向培育的成果。在一般情况下 ,土壤质量是由土壤肥力决定的 ,基础肥力高低是农业生产优质高产低耗的关键 ,在评价土壤质量时必需首先予以关注。当然 ,随着工业的发展 ,土壤污染所波及的农产品超标问题 ,也应在评价土壤质量时予以关注 ,并作为评价因素在综合评价体系中占有应有的份量     

Decision support model to select crop pattern for sustainable agricultural practices using fuzzy MCDM

The crop pattern has a significant impact on the feasibility of sustainable agricultural practices. Selected crop pattern influences environmental and economic condition and affects sustainability profoundly in agricultural practices. Hence, a careful intervention is required in the selection of an optimal crop pattern for sustainable agricultural practices. Selection of a particular set of crop pattern depends on many criteria that may vary from place to place thus pose challenges in deciding an optimum crop pattern. The present research focuses on the crop selection pattern in Indian environment that considers comprehensive criteria related to sustainable farming practices. Based on the in-depth review of the literature and experts opinion, comprehensive criteria related to sustainable farming practices for Ravi season crop are identified. Total twelve criteria covering socioeconomic conditions, soil and water conditions, environmental and climatic conditions are earmarked and taken into account for eight most commonly grown crops in Ravi season and later on modeled to determine the crop pattern for most needed sustainability. A fuzzy-based multi-criteria decision-making model has been developed considering the Indian farming system. The scarce resources availability to Indian farmers poses many challenges to practice farming with most needed sustainability. The present research will be useful in the area of Indian farming practices in particular and global farming practices in general. It will also help stakeholders in their cost effective decision making for better crop productivity leading to sustainable farming practices. Additionally, the state policy makers will be able to formulate effective state driven sustainable farming policy to enhance its stake in gross domestic product to become self-reliance.     

Implications of climate change in sustained agricultural productivity in South Asia

One of the targets of the United Nations ‘Millennium Development Goals’ adopted in 2000 is to cut in half the number of people who are suffering from hunger between 1990 and 2015. However, crop yield growth has slowed down in much of the world because of declining investments in agricultural research, irrigation, and rural infrastructure and increasing water scarcity. New challenges to food security are posed by accelerated climatic change. Considerable uncertainties remain as to when, where and how climate change will affect agricultural production. Even less is known about how climate change might influence other aspects that determine food security, such as accessibility of food for various societal groups and the stability of food supply. This paper presents the likely impacts of thermal and hydrological stresses as a consequence of projected climate change in the future potential agriculture productivity in South Asia based on the crop simulation studies with a view to identify critical climate thresholds for sustained food productivity in the region. The study suggests that, on an aggregate level, there might not be a significant impact of global warming on food production of South Asia in the short term (<2°C; until 2020s), provided water for irrigation is available and agricultural pests could be kept under control. The increasing frequency of droughts and floods would, however, continue to seriously disrupt food supplies on year to year basis. In long term (2050s and beyond), productivity of Kharif crops would decline due to increased climate variability and pest incidence and virulence. Production of Rabi crops is likely to be more seriously threatened in response to 2°C warming. The net cereal production in South Asia is projected to decline at least between 4 and 10% under the most conservative climate change projections (a regional warming of 3°C) by the end of this century. In terms of the reference to UNFCCC Article 2 on dangerous anthropogenic (human-induced) interference with the climate system, the critical threshold for sustained food productivity in South Asia appears to be a rise in surface air temperature of ~2°C and a marginal decline in water availability for irrigation or decrease in rainfall during the cropping season.     

中国种植业产品贸易自由化对环境影响的计量经济分析

入世后．中国将根据WTO的要求对农业贸易相关政策进行调整和改革，这将改变国内农业生产，进而影响到农村生态环境。在此背景下．本文首先界定了种檀业产品贸易自由化的涵义．并对其环境影响途径进行分析．然后利用计量经济方法着重分析了贸易自由化对国内种植业生产中化肥、农药使用的影响。研究结果表明，在种植业产品的贸易自由化中，进口渗透作用对缓解国内化肥、农药污染影响显着．而出口导向作用影响不明显。文章最后给出了减缓农产品贸易自由化的不利影响，发挥其有利影响的政策建议。     

基于EVI相似性分区的冬小麦面积提取及其动态监测

及时、准确地获取冬小麦种植面积及时空变化信息对提升作物估产精度和保障粮食安全具有重要意义。冬小麦物候期受地理条件和人为因素影响差异很大，利用遥感进行大尺度种植面积提取时其精度容易受物候差异的影响。根据MODIS EVI数据和Landsat影像，在定量评价冬小麦EVI相似性并结合高程信息对研究区进行分区的基础上，通过对比冬小麦参考时序曲线与待分类像元时序曲线之间相似性提取冬小麦种植面积，并对湖北省2009～2017年冬小麦种植面积时空变化过程进行分析。结果表明：（1）冬小麦面积提取平均精度达95.3%，R ²大于0.90，明显优于未分区提取结果；（2）冬小麦主要集中分布于中部和北部地区，其中，襄阳县、枣阳市的种植面积尤为集中；（3）冬小麦空间分布大致呈现向西北、东南部地区扩张的时空变化格局；（4）在2009～2017年期间，冬小麦种植面积先增后减，总体呈上升趋势，2017年比2009年增加了4%。基于EVI相似性的作物分区提取方法可提高种植面积精度，为大区域内冬小麦面积时空变化遥感监测提供有效方法。     

基于共同前沿SBM模型的农业用水效率测度及改善潜力

为了实现农业水资源可持续利用和保障国家粮食安全，地区必须提高农业用水效率。基于共同前沿下的非期望产出SBM模型，对中国31个省市1998~2015年农业用水效率进行了测算，在综合考虑各地农业资源承载力、环境容量、生态类型和发展基础等因素的基础上，将中国各地区进行分组，分别考虑了各组区域下农业用水效率的差异性、变动趋势以及改善潜力。结果表明：共同前沿下，各组农业用水效率值从高到低排列依次为保护发展区、优先发展区和适度发展区，其多年均值分别为0.623，0.568和0.432。这表明，如果采用潜在的最优生产技术，三大区域将分别平均有37.7%、43.2%和56.8%的效率提升空间，改善潜力巨大。管理无效和技术无效是导致地区农业用水效率损失的两大来源，优先发展区效率损失主要是由管理无效造成，完善管理制度和提高管理运营水平是促进农业用水效率改善的重要策略，保护发展区和适度发展区效率损失的原因则具有多样性，管理无效和技术无效二者皆有，因此需要结合技术和管理双角度来设计效率改善策略。     

江苏省农业比较优势格局及与周边省市比较分析

:将江苏省置于长江中下游种植区内 ,运用国内资源成本系数DRCC(DomesticResourcesCostCoefficient)和RDRCC(RatioDomesticResourcescostCoefficients)指标考察了江苏省与周边省市 (包括上海、安徽、浙江、江西、湖北和湖南 )农业生产比较优势的差异 ,从而全面地认识了相对于长江中下游种植区六省市江苏省农业生产的比较优势格局。根据分析 ,与周边地区相比 ,江苏省秋收作物粳稻、大豆 ,夏收作物油菜籽、棉花和早籼稻 ,常年生作物茶叶生产都具有不同程度的相对比较优势 ,可考虑通过适当的政策将资源导向这些产品的生产上 ;同时重点压缩小麦、中籼稻、玉米、花生、烤烟等不具相对比较优势产品的生产。此外 ,江苏桑蚕茧可考虑稳定现有的生产 ,而苹果生产可适当调减。主要饲养业产品中 ,蛋鸡、肉鸡和淡水鱼具有相对比较优势 ,其饲养总量可以考虑进一步扩大 ,相反 ,生猪和菜羊不具相对比较优势 ,饲养规模应适当压缩。而江苏奶牛饲养总规模可考虑稳定 ,并适当扩大国营集体饲养的规模     

Variability in crop yields associated with climate anomalies in China over the past three decades

We used simple and explicit methods, as well as improved datasets for climate, crop phenology and yields, to address the association between variability in crop yields and climate anomalies in China from 1980 to 2008. We identified the most favourable and unfavourable climate conditions and the optimum temperatures for crop productivity in different regions of China. We found that the simultaneous occurrence of high temperatures, low precipitation and high solar radiation was unfavourable for wheat, maize and soybean productivity in large portions of northern, northwestern and northeastern China; this was because of droughts induced by warming or an increase in solar radiation. These climate anomalies could cause yield losses of up to 50 % for wheat, maize and soybeans in the arid and semi-arid regions of China. High precipitation and low solar radiation were unfavourable for crop productivity throughout southeastern China and could cause yield losses of approximately 20 % for rice and 50 % for wheat and maize. High temperatures were unfavourable for rice productivity in southwestern China because they induced heat stress, which could cause rice yield losses of approximately 20 %. In contrast, high temperatures and low precipitation were favourable for rice productivity in northeastern and eastern China. We found that the optimum temperatures for high yields were crop specific and had an explicit spatial pattern. These findings improve our understanding of the impacts of extreme climate events on agricultural production in different regions of China.     

Can Sustainable Agriculture Feed Africa? New Evidence on Progress, Processes and Impacts

Africa faces enormous food security challenges. Most commentators agree that, despite the complexities of food insecurity, there will have to be increases in food production from existing agricultural land. Most, too, are pessimistic about the future, judging likelihood of success on the basis of past performance of modern agricultural development. Sustainable agriculture, though, offers new opportunities, by emphasising the productive values of natural, social and human capital, all assets that Africa either has in abundance or that can be regenerated at low financial cost.This paper sets out an assets-based model of agricultural systems, together with a typology of eight improvements that are currently in use in sustainable agriculture projects. In the 45 projects/initiatives spread across 17 countries that are investigated, some 730,000 households have substantially improved food production and household food security. In 95% of the projects where yield increases were the aim, cereal yields have improved by 50–100%. Total farm food production has increased in all. The additional positive impacts on natural, social and human capital are also helping to build the assets base so as to sustain these improvements in the future.This analysis indicates that sustainable agriculture can deliver large increases in food production in Africa. But spreading these to much larger numbers of farm households will not be easy. It will require substantial policy, institutional and professional reform.     

1990～2015年长江流域县域粮食生产与粮食安全时空格局演变及影响因素分析

长江流域粮食生产与经济发展在全国均占据重要地位，研究近25年长江流域粮食生产与粮食安全时空格局演变及影响因素，可为我国粮食安全及流域可持续发展提供科学依据。基于1990、1995、2000、2005、2010和2015年长江流域县域粮食产量、户籍人口数据、农业化肥使用量和粮食播种面积（740个区县），运用粮食变化指数、探索性空间数据分析（ESDA）、重心转移模型和空间误差模型(SEM)研究其时空格局演变特征及影响因素。研究结果表明：（1）1990～2015年长江流域粮食产量总体呈增长趋势，东西差异显著，年均增长率为0.5%，上中下游依次为0.6%、0.8%和 -0.7%；上游为劣势区，中游为优势增长区，下游为减弱区。（2）粮食产量冷点聚类一直分布在上游地区，聚类格局在2000年左右由西南边界的“L”型转变为西北倒“L”型；下游江淮地区与太湖平原的热点集聚在2000年后消失，且长期处于减产状态；人均粮食占有量与粮食产量时空格局演变呈较高的空间相似性，2000年为流域粮食生产与粮食安全格局发生变化的转折点。（3）1990～2015年长江流域一般余粮县和重要余粮县重心呈现出“南下西移”态势，缺粮县和供需紧平衡县重心发生了“从南向北、从西向东”迁移变化。（4）粮食播种面积和农业化肥施用量对粮食生产均具显著性正向效益。     

我国粮食主产区耕地产出效率研究

根据我国粮食主产区11个省1990~2004年地均种植业产值、地均劳动力及各种农业生产物质的投入情况,以耕地产出效率为主要研究对象,运用随机前沿生产函数方法计算出各省历年来的耕地产出效率值。研究表明：现阶段我国耕地经营仍以人力与物质成本的投入为主。与机械化生产相比,化肥等化学和人力密集型的生产方式更能与小规模农户经营的体制相适应;我国耕地产出效率的整体水平不高,耕地的实际产出与现有投入水平下的潜在产出之间存在较大差距;省际间耕地产出效率与经济发展水平没有必然联系,且其差距有着缩小的趋势;近15年来,我国耕地产出效率虽然逐渐提高,但提高的速率却在下降。表明我国现阶段的农业高产需要依靠大量物质投入来维持,生产成本越来越高,继续增加物质上的投入对耕地产出效率的提高意义不大。因此,充分、合理地利用现有资源和技术条件,依靠生物技术的进步,即作物品种的改良来提高耕地的产出,是提高我国耕地产出效率、增加农民收入的重要途径。     

省域粮食单产水平与波动状况研究

在我国宜耕耕地后备资源匮乏的背景下,保障国家粮食安全更多地依靠粮食单产水平的提升.分区域、分作物地研究粮食单产水平及其变化特征有助于把握粮食生产布局规律性,为科学地制定分区和分作物的产业指导政策提供依据.本研究通过"剔除趋势"模型,分析了我国主产省份各类粮食作物的单产水平、变化趋势和波动幅度.研究结果表明:我国粮食主产省份可划分为高产稳产区、中产稳产区、波动区和低产区四大类型,单产水平较高的地区主要分布在黄淮海地区、长江下游以及新疆,单产水平较低的地区主要分布在西部,东北主产区单产年际波动剧烈.为确保国家粮食安全,实现总量平衡和结构平衡,分区域产业指导政策宜分别实施稳定、优化、强基、提升四大战略;分作物产业指导政策方向是,水稻重点采取"南增北稳"战略,避免东北主产区水稻产量占全国比重过大造成风险加大的不利影响,小麦和玉米可重点培育新疆新兴产区能力建设.     

中国粮食生产中不同类型技术要素投入的时空分异与影响因素

以粮食作物为研究对象，利用核密度函数系统分析 2002~2016 年中国粮食生产中土地节约型与劳动节约型两类农业技术要素投入的时空分异特征，并选用多元线性回归方法分析其影响因素。结果显示：(1)2002~2016 年中国粮食生产农业技术要素投入逐年增加。其中，土地节约型技术要素投入变化较为平稳,劳动节约型技术要素投入则大幅上升。(2)土地节约型技术要素投入高值省份集中在华北地区，低值省份主要分布在南方地区。劳动节约型技术要素投入高值地区主要位于我国北方，其中以东北为最高，低值省份则多分布于西南；劳动节约型技术要素投入增幅高于土地节约型。(3)土地节约型技术要素投入的空间差异呈减小趋势，而劳动节约型技术要素投入的空间差异则显著扩大。(4)耕地经营规模和劳动力转移率对两类型技术要素投入均作用显著。同时，土地节约型技术要素投入还易受种植业比重的影响，而劳动节约型技术要素投入则受劳动力素质和城乡收入差距的影响较大。应施行差别化的农业发展政策，提高技术要素投入的效用水平，促进农业生产率的整体增长。