Today, the overuse of nitrogen （N） fertilizer and high N loss result in serious nitrate pollution of water and deter the sustainable development of agriculture and social economy. A recently developed site-specific ...Today, the overuse of nitrogen （N） fertilizer and high N loss result in serious nitrate pollution of water and deter the sustainable development of agriculture and social economy. A recently developed site-specific nutrient management （SSNM） can reduce fertilizer N use while preventing the yield from falling. In this paper, we raise the question of fertilizer N application in rice production through a survey of farmers＇ practice of fertilizer N in 18 villages of four provinces. The average rate of N application for rice production in the 18 villages was 190 kg/ha, and 76% to 100% of the total fertilizer N which was applied within l0 days after transplanting resulted in lots of nitrate leached into water. Furthermore, we tested the effect of SSNM through farmer participatory trial. The SSNM technology maintained rice yields with significantly less fertilizer N and there was no increase in labor input, as much as 31% fertilizer N were saved with the SSNM technology. Finally, the paper points that extension and further research of the SSNM technology should be an effective method to deal with the contradiction of population, food and nitrate nonpoint pollution of water resource and promote the sustainability of agriculture.展开更多
The economic benefits of insect-resistant genetically modified(GM) crops have been well documented, but the impact of such crops and the consequent reduction in pesticide use on farmers' health remains largely unk...The economic benefits of insect-resistant genetically modified(GM) crops have been well documented, but the impact of such crops and the consequent reduction in pesticide use on farmers' health remains largely unknown. Through the analysis of the data collected from the physical examination from farmers in China, we show that GM rice significantly reduces pesticide use and the resultant not only visible but also invisible adverse effects on farmers' neurological, hematological, and electrolyte system. Hence, the commercialization of GM rice is expected to improve the health of farmers in developing countries, where pesticide application is necessary to mitigate crop loss.展开更多
文摘Today, the overuse of nitrogen （N） fertilizer and high N loss result in serious nitrate pollution of water and deter the sustainable development of agriculture and social economy. A recently developed site-specific nutrient management （SSNM） can reduce fertilizer N use while preventing the yield from falling. In this paper, we raise the question of fertilizer N application in rice production through a survey of farmers＇ practice of fertilizer N in 18 villages of four provinces. The average rate of N application for rice production in the 18 villages was 190 kg/ha, and 76% to 100% of the total fertilizer N which was applied within l0 days after transplanting resulted in lots of nitrate leached into water. Furthermore, we tested the effect of SSNM through farmer participatory trial. The SSNM technology maintained rice yields with significantly less fertilizer N and there was no increase in labor input, as much as 31% fertilizer N were saved with the SSNM technology. Finally, the paper points that extension and further research of the SSNM technology should be an effective method to deal with the contradiction of population, food and nitrate nonpoint pollution of water resource and promote the sustainability of agriculture.
基金supported by the International Development Research Center(106160-002)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(71333013,71210004)National Key Program on Genetically Modified New Varieties(2011ZX08015-002A)
文摘The economic benefits of insect-resistant genetically modified(GM) crops have been well documented, but the impact of such crops and the consequent reduction in pesticide use on farmers' health remains largely unknown. Through the analysis of the data collected from the physical examination from farmers in China, we show that GM rice significantly reduces pesticide use and the resultant not only visible but also invisible adverse effects on farmers' neurological, hematological, and electrolyte system. Hence, the commercialization of GM rice is expected to improve the health of farmers in developing countries, where pesticide application is necessary to mitigate crop loss.
