The Potential for Improving Rice Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Smallholder Farmers: A Case Study of Jiangsu, China
Kailiu Xie,
Junjie Guo,
Katie Ward,
Gongwen Luo,
Qirong Shen,
Shiwei Guo
Affiliations
Kailiu Xie
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Junjie Guo
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Katie Ward
School of Biology, University of Leeds, West Yorkshire LS7 4QH, UK
Gongwen Luo
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Qirong Shen
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Shiwei Guo
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Closing yield (YG) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) gaps amongst smallholder farmers are critical to ensuring food security and environmental sustainability. Here we report a comprehensive analysis of a data set derived from farm-surveys and previously published studies in a typical high N input area of China. Using scenario analysis, farmers from both sources were divided into four rice production levels to assess the YG and NUE of smallholder farmers. Farm surveys showed that rice yield and partial factor productivity of applied N (PFPN) averaged 8273 kg ha−1 and 23.1 kg kg−1 at regional-scale, with a potential increase of 21−43% and 33−52%, respectively. A wide variation in yield and PFPN across different types of farmer was observed. Optimized N management significantly narrowed YGs by 3.7% and PFPN gap by 63.5% on average based on the published literature. Multiple factors, including excessive N rates, small rice planting area (0.33 ha), the aging (51 years old) and low education level (6 years of education) of the major labor force, can partly explain causes of yield and NUE gaps. These findings provide farm-based evidence that centralized management, good agronomy plus advances in knowledge and technologies are essential for future agricultural development.
