Cited by 1,336Agricultural Science and FertilizationAgricultural Innovations and PracticesRice Cultivation and Yield Improvement

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Pursuing sustainable productivity with millions of smallholder farmers

Cui, Zhenling, Zhang, Hongyan, Chen, Xinping, Zhang, Chaochun, Ma, Wenqi, Huang, Chengdong, Zhang, Weifeng, Mi, Guohua, Miao, Yuxin, Li, Xiaolin, Gao, Qiang, Yang, Jianchang, Wang, Zhaohui, Ye, Youliang, Guo, Shiwei, Lu, Jianwei, Huang, Jianliang, Lv, Shihua, Sun, Yixiang, Liu, Yuanying, Peng, Xianlong, Ren, Jun, Li, Shiqing, Deng, Xiping, Shi, Xiaojun, Zhang, Qiang, Yang, Zhiping, Tang, Li, Wei, Changzhou, Jia, Liangliang, Zhang, Jiwang, He, Mingrong, Tong, Yanan, Tang, Qiyuan, Zhong, Xuhua, Liu, Zhaohui, Cao, Ning, Kou, Changlin, Ying, Hao, Yin, Yulong, Jiao, Xiaoqiang, Zhang, Qingsong, Fan, Mingsheng, Jiang, Rongfeng, Zhang, Fusuo, Dou, Zhengxia·2018·Nature

DOI 10.1038/nature25785

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Abstract

Sustainably feeding a growing population is a grand challenge, and one that is particularly difficult in regions that are dominated by smallholder farming. Despite local successes, mobilizing vast smallholder communities with science- and evidence-based management practices to simultaneously address production and pollution problems has been infeasible. Here we report the outcome of concerted efforts in engaging millions of Chinese smallholder farmers to adopt enhanced management practices for greater yield and environmental performance. First, we conducted field trials across China's major agroecological zones to develop locally applicable recommendations using a comprehensive decision-support program. Engaging farmers to adopt those recommendations involved the collaboration of a core network of 1,152 researchers with numerous extension agents and agribusiness personnel. From 2005 to 2015, about 20.9 million farmers in 452 counties adopted enhanced management practices in fields with a total of 37.7 million cumulative hectares over the years. Average yields (maize, rice and wheat) increased by 10.8-11.5%, generating a net grain output of 33 million tonnes (Mt). At the same time, application of nitrogen decreased by 14.7-18.1%, saving 1.2 Mt of nitrogen fertilizers. The increased grain output and decreased nitrogen fertilizer use were equivalent to US$12.2 billion. Estimated reactive nitrogen losses averaged 4.5-4.7 kg nitrogen per Megagram (Mg) with the intervention compared to 6.0-6.4 kg nitrogen per Mg without. Greenhouse gas emissions were 328 kg, 812 kg and 434 kg CO 2 equivalent per Mg of maize, rice and wheat produced, respectively, compared to 422 kg, 941 kg and 549 kg CO 2 equivalent per Mg without the intervention. On the basis of a large-scale survey (8.6 million farmer participants) and scenario analyses, we further demonstrate the potential impacts of implementing the enhanced management practices on China's food security and sustainability outlook.

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Authors: Cui, Z., Zhang, H., Chen, X., Zhang, C., Ma, W., Huang, C., Zhang, W., Mi, G., Miao, Y., Li, X., Gao, Q., Yang, J., Wang, Z., Ye, Y., Guo, S., Lu, J., Huang, J., Lv, S., Sun, Y., Liu, Y., Peng, X., Ren, J., Li, S., Deng, X., Shi, X., Zhang, Q., Yang, Z., Tang, L., Wei, C., Jia, L., Zhang, J., He, M., Tong, Y., Tang, Q., Zhong, X., Liu, Z., Cao, N., Kou, C., Ying, H., Yin, Y., Jiao, X., Zhang, Q., Fan, M., Jiang, R., Zhang, F., & Dou, Z.
Affiliations: China Agricultural University (CN)
Hebei Agricultural University (CN)
Jilin Agricultural University (CN)
Yangzhou University (CN)
Northwest A&F University (CN)
Henan Agricultural University (CN)
Nanjing Agricultural University (CN)
Huazhong Agricultural University (CN)
Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CN)
Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CN)
Northeast Agricultural University (CN)
Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CN)
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau (CN)
Southwest University (CN)
Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CN)
Yunnan Agricultural University (CN)
Shihezi University (CN)
Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences (CN)
Shandong Agricultural University (CN)
Hunan Agricultural University (CN)
Rice Research Institute (CN)
Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CN)
Jilin University (CN)
Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CN)
University of Pennsylvania (US)
Corresponding author: Zhang, Fusuo
ORCID: Cui, Zhenling
Zhang, Hongyan
Chen, Xinping
Zhang, Chaochun
Ma, Wenqi
Huang, Chengdong
Zhang, Weifeng
Mi, Guohua
Miao, Yuxin
Li, Xiaolin
Gao, Qiang
Yang, Jianchang
Wang, Zhaohui
Guo, Shiwei
Lu, Jianwei
Huang, Jianliang
Sun, Yixiang
Peng, Xianlong
Ren, Jun
Li, Shiqing
Deng, Xiping
Shi, Xiaojun
Zhang, Qiang
Tang, Li
Wei, Changzhou
Jia, Liangliang
Zhang, Jiwang
He, Mingrong
Tong, Yanan
Liu, Zhaohui
Yin, Yulong
Jiao, Xiaoqiang
Zhang, Qingsong
Fan, Mingsheng
Jiang, Rongfeng
Zhang, Fusuo
Dou, Zhengxia
Venue: Nature
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2018-03
Volume: 555
Issue: 7696
Pages: 363-366
ISSN: 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
1476-4687
DOI: 10.1038/nature25785
OpenAlex: W2790542267
Cited by: 1,336
References: 29
Citations by year: 2026: 153 · 2025: 205 · 2024: 216 · 2023: 178 · 2022: 180 · 2021: 174 · 2020: 105 · 2019: 94 · 2018: 29
FWCI: 94.23
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations: Nature (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders: University of Pennsylvania
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Topics: Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Agricultural Science and Fertilization
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agricultural Innovations and Practices
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Rice Cultivation and Yield Improvement
Keywords: smallholder farmers, grain yield, nitrogen use efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, reactive nitrogen losses, farm profitability, agricultural extension, sustainable productivity, food security, China, maize, wheat, rice, agro-ecological zones, farmer networks, agroecology, soil health
MeSH terms: Farmers, Agriculture, Edible Grain, China, Conservation of Natural Resources, Zea mays, Decision Support Techniques, Fertilizers, Food Supply, Humans, Nitrogen, Oryza, Triticum, Efficiency, Organizational, Greenhouse Effect, Crops, Agricultural, Environmental Policy

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Pursuing sustainable productivity with millions of smallholder farmers

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