Recent progress and prospects in the development of ridge tillage cultivation technology in China
Introduction
The trace of high and low ridge in the Sanyangzhuang village site indicated that adopting ridge tillage in China has a long history of more than 2000 years (Liu and Zhang, 2008, Han, 2010). The ridge tillage was originally applied for planting Chinese millet (Setaria italic) in the region of Yellow river, The function of this method is to easy-drainage during the rainy season and to convenient-irrigation in the dry season (Han, 2010), and the crop was able to be selected for planting in the furrow or on the ridge based on the seasonal distribution of rainfall, which can ensure stable yields despite drought or excessive rain (Han, 2010). This method has been extensively used for multiple crops cultivation including maize (Zea mays L., Ren et al., 2008a, Ren et al., 2008b, Wang et al., 2011, Ma et al., 2011a, Wu et al., 2012), wheat (Triticeae dumort L., Wang et al., 2007, Chen et al., 2010, Ma et al., 2011b, Li et al., 2011), rape (Brassica rapa L.), potato (Solanum tuberosum L., Qin et al., 2011), soybean (Glycine max L., Yang and Zhao, 1995, Liu et al., 2011a), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), peanut (Arachis hypogaca L.), and rice (Oryza sativa L., Gao et al., 2004, Zhang et al., 2005, Liang et al., 2010).
With the increasing of global climate changes, extreme climate events such as uneven seasonal distribution of rainfall, heavy rain event and storm event may become more frequent (Mearns et al., 1984, Karl and Easterling, 1999, Easterling et al., 2000). The ability of natural precipitation accumulation under agricultural facilities and cultivation measures and its water utilization efficiency was challenged and to be one of the restraining factors in the agricultural production. The data of Table 1 showed us that linear trend in total and heavy precipitation above various thresholds (threshold used to define heavy rain was 50 mm/24 h in Northeastern China and 100 mm/24 h in Southeastern China) for different regions in China. The number of days annually exceeding 100 mm (4 in.) of precipitation has been increasing in the southern China, and the number of days annually exceeding 50 mm (2 in.) of precipitation has been decreasing in the northern China. Since the changes of heavy rain or storm event and the increase of lighter (<5 mm) daily rainfall totals, the diverse approaches for natural precipitation harvesting, storage and conversation has been developed for efficient water utilization on crop production in China (Cheng, 2006). For example, in northern of China, the application of ridge tillage cultivation technology (RT), plastic film or straw mulching on the soils can largely reduce the evaporation of soil water, decline the degree of water deficit and increase water reserve in the soil (Hu and Jiang, 1998, Chen, 2002), finally leading to an increase of crop yield (Fan et al., 1999, Zhai et al., 2004, Wang et al., 2004a, Wang et al., 2004b). And in the southern of China, the accumulation of natural precipitation was mainly dependent on reservoirs and hilly pond. However, the capacity of natural precipitation storage and efficient water utilization for paddy field remains not to be developed.
In this review, we summarized the recent progress on practice of RT in China, and mainly focused on the effects of RT application on water utilization efficient (WUE), soil property, crop yield, and crop growth characteristics including root, nutrition utilization and balance, and photosynthesis. Based on the water requirement characteristic rice and the high temperature and rainy climate in southern China, we proposed a new technology-Water-Saving ridge Tillage & Terrace Cultivation Technology. This technology will show us a new approach to achieve the goals of high yielding, more efficient and ecological on crop production by reducing water consumption and enhance WUE, similarly to the classic farming technology of China such as rice-fish complex ecosystem and rice-duck complex ecosystem. Finally, we discussed the unresolved issues that remain to be addressed in further research for this new technology.
Section snippets
The form of ridge tillage
Four basic forms have been developed with the needs of crop practical production and the conditions of local climate. Bed (wide ridge) cultivation model, as shown in Fig. 1a, was suitable for dry farming or paddy-upland rotation in region with the frequent rainfall and high groundwater level. Its advantage was the convenient for drainage, increase soil water evaporation and soil temperature due to the reduction of soil water content in the surface, improve air capacity of soils.
Ridge and furrow
Prospects of research on ridge tillage for rice production in China
Of the above-mentioned research, the predecessor systematic studied the effect of upland crop under RT. However, there has no utilization of the RT's higher WUE, and the capacity of drainage & impounding during the rice production process. Besides, the operation rules of water and its simulation model after ridge in the paddy field is to be studied.
Conclusions
Anaerobic was one of major abiotic stress factors limiting rice production (Armstrong and Beckett, 1985, Deng et al., 2009). High dry matter accumulation in hybrid rice needed strong root system to provide enough inorganic nutrients, and the construction of root system was closely related to the air aeration in soil (Zhao et al., 2011). In the rice production, the model of alternate wetting and drying irrigation could effectively increase air aeration in soil. However, its continuous cropping
Acknowledgements
This research was partly supported by National Programs for High-Yielding Rice Science and Technology (Grant No. 2013BAD07B11) and the Project for “12th 5-year plan” Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (Grant No. 201203081). The Ministry of science and technology in China and the Ministry of Agriculture in China provided funds for this research.
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