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Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering

ISSN 2095-7505

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Front. Agr. Sci. Eng.    2020, Vol. 7 Issue (1) : 14-20    https://doi.org/10.15302/J-FASE-2019295
REVIEW
Producing more with less: reducing environmental impacts through an integrated soil-crop system management approach
Zhenling CUI1, Zhengxia DOU2, Hao YING1, Fusuo ZHANG1()
1. Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, Ministry of Education, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
2. School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA
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Abstract

Balancing crop productivity with resource use efficiency and beneficial environmental consequences is essential for sustainable agricultural development worldwide. Various strategies and approaches have been proposed and debated, but turning the concept into management practices in the field with measurable outcomes over several scales remains a challenge. An innovative approach, Integrated Soil-Crop System Management (ISSM), for producing more grain with greater nutrient use efficiencies and less environmental pollution is presented. The ISSM approach has been used in China, in field experiments as well as in thousands of farmer fields, to substantially increase the yields of maize, rice and wheat while simultaneously increasing nitrogen use efficiency and reducing environmental footprints. The scientific principle, implementation strategy and procedures of ISSM are discussed and examples of its demonstrated successes at local and regional levels across China are given. Perspectives for further development of ISSM and expanding its potential impact are also proposed and discussed.
Keywords China      environmental protection      food security      high-yielding      nitrogen management     
Corresponding Author(s): Fusuo ZHANG   
Just Accepted Date: 02 December 2019   Online First Date: 24 December 2019    Issue Date: 02 March 2020
 Cite this article:   
Zhenling CUI,Zhengxia DOU,Hao YING, et al. Producing more with less: reducing environmental impacts through an integrated soil-crop system management approach[J]. Front. Agr. Sci. Eng. , 2020, 7(1): 14-20.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fase/EN/10.15302/J-FASE-2019295
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fase/EN/Y2020/V7/I1/14
Crop Treatment Yield/(Mg·ha−1) N rate/(kg·ha−1) PFPN/(kg·kg−1) Nr losses/(kg·ha−1 N) Nr intensity/(kg·Mg−1 N) GHG/(kg CO2 per ha eq) GHG intensity/(kg CO2 per Mg eq)
Rice ISSM 8.5 162 54 55 4 9535 1077
FP 7 209 41 66 10 10343 1574
　 Difference/% 21 -22 32 -16 -56 -8 -32
Wheat ISSM 8.9 220 41 59 6 4182 463
FP 5.7 210 33 65 12 3707 671
　 Difference/% 56 5 24 -9 -50 13 -31
Maize ISSM 14.2 256 56 125 9 4575 329
FP 7.6 220 43 120 17 4436 621
　 Difference/% 87 16 30 4 -50 3 -47
Tab.1  Comparison of grain yield, N rate, N use efficiency (PFPN), reactive N (Nr) losses, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and their intensity between Integrated Soil-Crop System Management (ISSM) and farmer practice (FP). Nr losses and GHG emissions were estimated by models with these emissions expressed as kg of N or CO2 per equivalents ha and their intensity as kg of N or CO2 equivalents per Mg of grain yield. Data from Chen et al.[12]
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