Integrated soil–crop system management for food security

Authors

Xin-Ping Chen, China Agricultural University, BeijingFollow
Zhen-Ling Cui, China Agricultural University, BeijingFollow
Peter M. Vitousek, Stanford UniversityFollow
Kenneth Cassman, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Pamela A. Matson, Stanford UniversityFollow
Jin-Shun Bai, China Agricultural University, Beijing
Qing-Feng Meng, China Agricultural University, Beijing
Peng Hou, China Agricultural University, Beijing
Shan-Chao Yue, China Agricultural University, Beijing
Volker Römheld, Hohenheim University, Stuttgart, GermanyFollow
Fu-Suo Zhang, China Agricultural University, Beijing

Date of this Version

4-19-2011

Comments

Published in PNAS, April 19, 2011, vol. 108, no. 16, pp. 6399–6404. Copyright (c) 2011 Xin-Ping Chen, Zhen-Ling Cui, Peter M. Vitousek, Kenneth G. Cassman, Pamela A. Matson, Jin-Shun Bai, Qing-Feng Meng, Peng Hou, Shan-Chao Yue, Volker Römheld, and Fu-Suo Zhang.

www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1101419108

Abstract

China and other rapidly developing economies face the dual challenge of substantially increasing yields of cereal grains while at the same time reducing the very substantial environmental impacts of intensive agriculture. We used a model-driven integrated soil–crop system management approach to develop a maize production system that achieved mean maize yields of 13.0 t ha−1 on 66 on-farm experimental plots—nearly twice the yield of current farmers’ practices—with no increase in N fertilizer use. Such integrated soil–crop system management systems represent a priority for agricultural research and implementation, especially in rapidly growing economies.