This document provides an overview of agroecology approaches in China, including key policies and practices. It discusses China's policy focus on addressing resource limitations, environmental pollution, and ecosystem degradation through sustainable agriculture. The document outlines China's National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Agriculture, which aims to optimize production, protect farmland, save water, control pollution, and restore agroecosystems. It then describes several agroecology approaches used in China, such as landscape design, cycling systems, diversified crops and varieties, agroforestry, and intercropping to improve productivity and resource use efficiency while reducing environmental impacts.

1. Agroecology Approaches in China
Overview on Policy, Practices, and Science
Long Li
AGPME, FAO
CRES, China Agricultural University,
April 27, 2017, Rome

2. Outline
• Policy
• Concept of Agroecology in China
• Approaches for Agroecology in China
• Landscape level
• Cycling systems design
• Straw return to fields
• Straw as mushroom cultivated media
• Biogas
• Rainfall water collection for efficient use
• Diversified species and cultivar design
• Co-culture of rice-aquatic animals
• Agroforestry
• Intercropping targeted at pest and disease control
• Intercropping targeted at efficient use of resources
• Mechanization for intercropping

3. Problems Chinese agriculture are
facing
• Resource limitation became more and more serious
• Population, limited arable land, water shortage, soil
degradation, soil acidification, low water use efficiency,
overexploitation of resources
• Environmental pollution issues
• Wastes from industry
• Chemicals, film, etc.
• Significant ecosystem degradation, which requires to
develop synergy agriculture based on ecological
principles
• Robust policy systems are not fully established.

4. 发文单位 时间 文件名称
农业部
MOA
2015.4.10 关于打好农业面源污染防治攻坚战的实施意见
Controlling agricultural non-point pollution
中共中央 国务院
CCCPC, State Council
2015.4.25 关于加快推进生态文明建设的意见
Promoting ecological civilization construction
农业部等八部委
MOA
2015.5.20 全国农业可持续发展规划（2015—2030）
National strategic plan for sustainable agriculture
国务院办公厅
State Council
2015.8.7 关于加快转变农业发展方式的意见
Transition of agricultural development mode
中共中央
CCCPC
2015.8.17 党政领导干部生态环境损害责任追究办法（试行）
Leader punishment regulations for impairing ecological
environment
中共中央 国务院 2015.9.21 生态文明体制改革总体方案
General strategies for ecological civilization reform
发改委、农业部、
林业 局
2016.2.1 关于加快发展农业循环经济的指导意见
Guidelines for accelerating circular economy
环保部EOP 2016.5.28 土壤污染防治行动计划 Actions for controlling soil
pollution
国务院 State Council 2016.6.30 探索实行耕地轮作休耕制度试点方案 Rotation and fallow
国家有关促进农业生态转型的文件密集发布

5. The State Council of China:
The National Strategic Plan for Sustainable
Agriculture Development (2015–2030)-main tasks
• Optimizing agricultural composition, and enhancing capacity of
agricultural production
• Protecting arable land, and promoting sustainable uses of farmland
• Saving water and efficient utilization of water
• Control environmental pollution in rural areas
• Restoring degraded agroecosystems and strenghthening agroecological
functioning
• To enhance functioning of forestry ecosystems
• Conservation of grassland
• Restoration of aquatic ecosystems
• Conservation of biodiversity

7. 13. Intensive extension of
rotation and intercropping
14 Circular agriculture
combined crop production
and animal husbandry
15 Husbandry based on
grass, emphasizing on
ecological circular animal
husbandry
The State Council's Guidelines for accelerating the transformation of China’s agriculture
development, issued in August 2015

8. Efficient utilization of resources,
controlling and remediating rural
non-point pollution
16. Water-saving agriculture
development
17. Initiatives for zero increase of
chemical fertilizers and pesticides
• Reduction of application
chemicals
• Increase fertilizer
recovery
• New fertilizers
18. Reuse and recycle of
agricultural wastes
• Large scale ranches
• Biogas
• Compost
• Farmyard manure
• Straw return to soils
• Degradable film

9. Agroecology in China
• Textbooks from both the United States and China
share two important common points:
• Agroecosystem is the main focus of agroecology, and
ecological interactions in such systems should be
emphasized;
• Main task of agroecology is to meet the challenge of the
ecological and environmental crisis facing agriculture in
both developed and developing countries while
exploring alternative approaches to sustainable
agriculture development.

10. Agroecology in China
• The term agroecology used for sustainable agricultural practice outside
China is quite similar to the term eco-agriculture used in China.
• Eco-agriculture in China was firstly proposed in 1980 by scientists
attending the agricultural eco-economy symposium held in Yinchuan (W.
Li, 2003).
• At that time, a common understanding of eco-agriculture in China had
been reached among government officials and scientists working on
agriculture.
• It was considered a revolutionary view for agricultural development
and replaced the prevailing trend for agricultural modernization
through the use of machinery, chemicals, intensive irrigation, and new
varieties (Luo S.M. 2016).
• Agroecology in China, so far, has been developed to new concept that is
little bit different from the ones in Europe, North and South America
and Africa.

11. Agroecology definition in China
• Agroecology in China is sustainable agricultural systems, which combines
modern advanced techniques and traditional knowledge based on ecological
principles.
• Agroecology considers agroecosystmes as integrative systems, following as
many as ecological principles and coordinating various ecological processes at
different organization levels, including landscape, ecosystem, community,
population, and individual levels (Chen 2011; Luo 2016).
• There are three agroecological dimension (Luo 2016):
• Sustainable landscape arrangement at watershed scale, where there are properly spatial
arrangement of forestry, farmland, crop species, and combinations with biological and
engineering practices to ecologically control degradation of agroecosystems.
• Circular design in agroecosystem and efficient use of renewable sources of energy. For
example, biogas, collection of solar energy by greenhouse, plastic film mulching, integrative
utilization of livestock manure, and return crops’ straw to soils etc.
• Diversified species and genetic resources used in field to efficient utilization of resources and
to control diseases, pests, and weeds. For example, agroforestry, co-culture of rice and
aquatic animals, intercropping, rotation, control of pest, disease and weeds based on
biodiversity principles.

12. 1. Landscape design- ecological planning
To deal with:
– Ecological safety
– Biological conservation
– Environmental safety
– Ecotourism and beauty village
– Optimization of production
From Prof. Luo Shiming

13. Production arrangement along
watershed in South China
Forest
fruit
terrace
rice
Fish pond
and dike
Deep ditch
system
Wind break
system
From Prof. Luo Shiming

14. From Prof. Luo Shiming

15. From Prof. Luo Shiming

16. From Prof. Luo Shiming

17. From Prof. Luo Shiming

18. From Prof. Luo Shiming

19. big head carp
grass carp
silver carp
ell
common carp
silver carp
ellFrom Prof. Luo Shiming

20. From Prof. Luo Shiming

21. Water Bamboo茭白
莲藕 lotus
(3) Diversify plant and fish species which adapt to
waterlog environment, are used in lowland, South China.

22. water chestnut 荸荠
菱角 Singharanut
From Prof. Luo Shiming

23. 肇实 zhaoshi
席草 Mat grass
From Prof. Luo Shiming

24. 红树林
Mangrove system
along the coast
From Prof. Luo Shiming

25. Crop harvest
Reuse
Recycle
Reduce Pollution level
Biodiversity level
Food safty
Straw
Drainage
water
2. Cycling system design
Plastic sheet
Pesticide
Chem. Fert.
Mechinary
irrigation
From Prof. Luo Shiming

26. 1) Direct return with high stalk remained (留高杆后
犁耙田直接回田)
Straw return to fields

27. 2) Smash and return to fields 机械粉碎后直接回田

28. MC1复合菌系和秸秆降解效果（50 ℃，8 天, 2g·100mL-1）
Li Guoxue, 2009, China Agricultural University
CK with MC1 CK with MC1
0 day 8 day
3) Microbial and chemical agents to accelerate the decomposition process

29. 加速秸秆分解的微生物与化学制剂
Some commercial decomposer products for straw in the
market

30. 4） Return to fields after composting 堆沤回田

31. Harvest of no-tillage potato
covered by rice stalk on paddy
field in Guangxi
5) Straw as
mulching materials
in no-tillage
systems
From Prof. Luo Shiming

32. Corn stalk cover for no-tillage
potato in Yunan Province
From Prof. Luo Shiming

33. Tobacco stalk was used in potato production

34. From Prof. Luo Shiming

35. 6) Straw as mushroom cultivated medium

36. 金针菇 平菇 白蘑菇
草菇 木耳
竹荪 冬虫夏草茶树菇
白灵菇

37. 7） earthworm production (蚯蚓生产)
From Prof. Luo Shiming

38. 8) A cycling system developed from
biogas in Gongcheng County, Guangxi
Huang Jinghua, Agricultural College of Guangxi University
Wen Aizhong, Guilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences
The structure of pig-biogas-trap lamp-crop-fish system used in Gongcheng, Guangxi

39. Solar penal powered trap lamp in
persimmon orchard
Farmers are harvesting catfish from the
fish pond in Guangxi (From
www.gxny.gov.cn)
Yellow board used in
orange orchard in
Guangxi (by Luo Shiming)

40. Rainfall collection and efficient water use in dryland in NW China
Lanzhou
Mongolia-Xinjiang Plateau
Loess
Plateau
Tibetan Plateau
From Prof. Li Fengming

41.  Water shortage limits local crop production, rainfall is about 300 – 400
mm.
 On the other hand, considerable amount of rainwater is not used by
Crop/plants, but lost through runoff and evaporation from topsoil
Credit to Prof. F.M. Li Lanzhou University

42. Film mulching ridge-furrow system succession for dryland
maize
Flat without film Flat with full film
R-F with half
film mulch
Flat with half
film mulch
Double R-F film
Mulch
DRM
From Prof. Li Fengming

43. Plastic film mulching system for efficient rainwater use
From Prof. Li Fengming

44. 170
1150
576%
536
6130
1044%
0
3000
6000
9000
12000
CK DRM 增产率 CK DRM 增产率
2006 生长季降水
171mm
2007生长季降水
259mm
Yield effect of ridge-furrow mulched
with plastic film
2400 m Above Sea Level, annual mean
temperature 6.5 ℃ (Field Crops Research, 2009, 126:
181-188)
Yield effect changes with rainfall
GrainYieldkg/ha
产量kg/ha
6563
6195
4404
7661
9021
7996
17%
46%
81%
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
宁县438mm
崇信355mm
榆中301mm
宁县438mm
崇信355mm
榆中301mm
宁县438mm
崇信355mm
榆中301mm
平作无膜-对照 沟作全膜-处理 增产(0.1X‰)
Rainfall 171 mm
in 2006
Increase
Increase
Rainfall 259 mm
in 2007
GrainYieldkg/ha
CK DRM Increase
Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 2016, 220: 160-169
6.8
11.4

45. 3. Diversified species and genetic resources used
in field scale to efficient utilization of resources
and to control diseases, pests, and weeds.
• Agroforestry for enhance farmer’s income
• Co-culture of rice and aquatic animals
• Crop diversity controls pests and disease
• Intercropping enhances productivity and
efficient nutrient utilization
• Mechanization for intercropping

46. Agroforestry
• Jujube based agroforestry in Xinjiang, Northwest
part of China
• -wheat
• -cotton
• -onion
• Walnut based agroforestry in Xinjiang, Northwest
part of China
• -wheat and maize
• -onion

47. Jujube/cotton intercropping
5-year-old jujube tree/cotton
intercropping involved planting
in 6-m-wide strips and 2.5 m
between jujube tree stems
within rows.
6 m
Sole
cotton
Sole
jujube
Agroforestry
Cotton Jujube Increased profits
(USD/ha)
Yields
(kg/ha)
6,218 5,526 4,355 5,069
Output value
(USD/ha)
8,883 15,788 6,221 14,482 7,467

48. Jujube/wheat intercropping
5-year-old jujube tree/wheat
intercropping involved planting in
4.5-m-wide strips and 2.5 m
between jujube tree stems within
rows.
Sole
wheat
Sole
jujube
Agroforestry
Wheat Jujube Increased profits
(USD/ha)
Yields (kg/ha) 8,522 5,986 7,355 5,336
Output value
(USD/ha)
2,922 1,7103 2,521 15,246 6,855
4.5 m

49. 9-year-old
jujube
Yields
(kg/ha)
8,522 13,395 5,370 12,610
Output value
(USD/ha) 2,922 38,271 2,132 36,028 16,663
Sole wheat Sole jujube
Agroforestry
Wheat Jujube Increased profits
(USD/ha)
7-year-
old
jujube
Yields
(kg/ha)
8,522 9,986 6,911 8,250
Output value
(USD/ha)
2,922 28,531 2,369 23,571 9,313
7 and 9-year-old jujube
tree/wheat intercropping
involved planting in 4.5-m-
wide strips and 2 m between
jujube tree stems within rows.
7 and 9-year-old jujube/wheat
intercropping
4.5 m

50. Sole onion Sole jujube
Agroforestry
Onion Jujube Increased profits
(USD/ha)
Yields
(kg/ha)
34,658 3,391 21,000 2,400
Output value
(USD/ha)
5,491 9,689 3,600 6,857 1,967
3-year-old jujube/onion
intercropping involved planting
in 2-m-wide strips and 1 m
between jujube tree stems
within rows.
Jujube/onion intercropping
2 m

51. Sole
wheat
Sole
walnut
Sole corn Agroforestry
Wheat walnut Maize Increased
profits
(USD/ha)
Yields
(kg/ha)
6,522 2,895 9,286 4,878 2,562 5,046
Output value
(USD/ha)
2,236 12,407 2,388 1,672 10,980 1,298 7,373
10-year-old walnut tree/crop
intercropping involved
planting in 5.5-m-wide strips
and 4.5 m between walnut
tree stems within rows.
Walnut/wheat-corn
intercropping
5.5 m

52. Sole
onion
Sole
walnut
Sole
maize
Agroforestry
Onion Walnut Maize Increased profits
(USD/ha)
Yields
(kg/ha)
34,658 2,785 6,221 21,150 2,111 4,943
Output value
(USD/ha)
5,941 11,936 1,600 3,625 9,047 1,271 6,551
7-year-old walnut tree/crop
intercropping involved planting
in 6-m-wide strips and 5 m
between walnut tree stems
within rows.
Walnut/onion-maize intercropping
6 m

53. Pear tree and soybean
in Wuwei, Gansu Province

54. Pear tree and Oilseed rape
in Wuwei city, Gansu Province

55. 55
Rice-fish co-culture systems
 Rice fields offer a suitable environment for raising fish
(note that ‘fish’ in this document refers to a wide range of
aquatic animals, e.g. freshwater prawn, marine shrimp,
crabs, turtles, frogs, etc.). Actually, culturing fish with rice
in paddy has a long history in China as well as in many
other Asian countries.
 Rice-fish co-culture systems have tremendous potential
for increasing food security and alleviating poverty in rural
areas. .
 Rice-fish coculture system is also an efficient way of
using the same land resource to produce both
carbohydrates and animal protein, either concurrently or
serially.
 In rice-fish farming systems, water is used to
simultaneously produce the two basic foods.

56. 56
Development of rice-fish coculture system in China
Prof. Chen Xin, Zhejiang University

57. 57
Major model of rice-fish coculture system in China
Variable Traditional model Current model
Farmer Family household Family farm, farmer cooperative, agriculture company
Scale Small, self sufficient Large scale, commercial brand
Type Rice-carp Rice-carp, rice-crab, rice-shrimp, rice-soft-shell turtle, rice-
loach ect.
Technology Traditional culture Modern technology
Objectives Increase food supplies and enhance
rural economies
Increase food supplies, enhance economies, conserve resources,
and reduce negative environmental impact
Prof. Chen Xin, Zhejiang University

58. 58
 Modification of rice fields for rice-fish coculture
Examples of trenches and
ponds (represented by gray
areas) in rice-fish coculture.
Prof. Chen Xin, Zhejiang University

59. 59
Rice planting pattern
Different spatial
arrangements of rice
seedlings to facilitate
fish activity with rice
density unchanged.
Prof. Chen Xin, Zhejiang University

60. Ecosystem functioning:
1) Stability of rice yield.
2) Diverse productions.
3) Less pesticides and
chemical fertilizers .
4) Land and water use.
5) Low effluents.
Positive interaction
N complementary use
From 陈欣

61. 61
(3) Productivity and ecological and economic benefits
• Yields of rice and fish
Prof. Chen Xin, Zhejiang University

62. 62
• Decrease in pesticides
Rice monoculture rice-fish coculture
Prof. Chen Xin, Zhejiang University

63. 63
Rice monoculture rice-fish coculture
• Decrease in fertilizers
Prof. Chen Xin, Zhejiang University

64. Yunnan Agricultural University
Crop diversity for
pest and disease management
Prof. You-yong Zhu

65. • Vast spreads of a single crop monoculture;
• This is economically efficient, but increases risk of
catastrophic failure (disease and pests occurrence)
• Chemical pesticides are over-use by farmers
• Soil degradation and environment pollution
Maize northern leaf blight Potato late blight disease
Background
Prof. You-yong Zhu

66. Background
An environment
conducive to
disease
Monoculture in the
host plants
The introduction
of a pathogen
Why was the plant disease widespread?
Increasing
pesticide use
Monoculture will kill the world!—a President Lane Trotter from Canada
Prof. You-yong Zhu

67. Intercropping patterns widely adopted in Yunnan
broad bean-wheat for leaf spot of the
broad bean and wheat rust control
Maize-potato for Asiatic corn Borer and potato late
blight disease control
Maize-pepper for blight of pepper and
maize northern leaf blight control
Soybean-maize for leaf spot of the
maize control and soil health

68.  Physical barrier for pests and pathogens
 Diluting the primary source of infection
 Priming the resistance to diseases and insect
pests both above- and under-ground
 Altering the microclimate in the field
 Providing the inhibits of natural enemies
Mechanisms of intercropping
Prof. You-yong Zhu

69.  Increasing yield 11.4-43.7%
 Suppress the disease 16-88%
 Reducing the insect pest 17.2-54.5%
 Decreasing the pesticides use by 32.6-57.2%
Productivity and effects of pest control
Prof. You-yong Zhu

70. Time Counties in Yunnan Scale (mha) Time Counties in Yunnan Scale (mha)
2006 68 0.78 2011 126 2.67
2007 72 0.81 2012 127 2.68
2008 83 1.04 2013 127 2.70
2009 88 1.354 2014 132 2.75
2010 104 2.67 2015 132 2.77
Photo by YY Zhu, 2011
Utilization scale in Yunnan Province

71. 71
During 2006-2015：total increase 23.44 billion kg yield,
economically increase 27.81 billion Yuan (RMB) for farmers
in Yunnan province and southwest of P.R. China
Economic beneficial for farmers

72. ★Inn-mongolia
17
Xinjiang
7
12
Gansu
Ningxia
2
Qinghai
3
Shanxi
6
2
Tibet
Sichuan
25
Yuannan
23
Guizhou
21
Guangxi
16
Helongjiang
13
Jilin
9
Liaoning
9
Henan
54
Hebei
Anhui
29
Shandong
86
Hubei
10 Jiangsu
44
Shanghai
2
Zhejiang
8
Guangdong
4
Jiangxi
6
Fujian
5
40
Hunan
Hainan
14
Number of intercropping patterns
39

73. Li et al., 2006 Oecologia 147:
280-290
Li et al., 2011 Soil Science and
Plant Nutrition 57, 61-67
Xia et al., 2013 Field Crops
Research 150: 52-62
40cm
Monocropped maize
20
cm
Intercropped maize
Faba bean roots
Maize roots
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 20 30 40 50 60 70 10 20 30
-80
-70
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
10 20 10
(a) (c) (d)(b)
Distance (cm) Distance (cm)
Wheat roots Maize roots
1 Below-ground interactions between intercropped species play an important
role in the increase of productivity. There are avoidance and compatibility
distribution for different crop combinations.

74. Li et al., 2003, Plant Soil 248:297-303
Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 65: 61-71
Li et al., 2007, PNAS 104：11192-11196；
Zhou et al., 2009 Total Science of Environment 407：4356-4362
Mei et al., 2012, Field Crops Research 130: 19-27
Xia et al., 2013, Field Crops Research 154:53-64
3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 6.05.5 6.5 7.0pH
(a) (b) (c)
2 Soil P and fertilizer P can be use efficiently by crop combinations of
the mobilized/immobilized species
 Interspecific facilitation on P acquisition
 Increased P recovery (>10 percentage points) by faba
bean/maize or chickpea/maize intercropping in farmers’ fields
pH7.5
Pi
Pi
Pi
Pi
Pi
Pi
pH 4.0
Pi
Pi
Pi
Fe-P, Al-P,
Ca-P in soil
Organic P
in soil

75. Xiao YB et al., 2004 Plant Soil
Fan FL et al., 2006 Plant Soil
Li YY et al., 2009 Plant Soil
Li et al., 2016 PNAS
3 Ecological processes on efficient N utilization in intercropping of
legumes and cereals
BNF was increased
significantly compared to
sole faba bean
More soil N
depletion
N transfer
N concentration
in soil declines
Monocropped
faba bean
Intercropped
faba bean
Nodulation increased by
195％, compared to sole
legumes
Signals

76.  Land equivalent ratios (LERs) based on grain yields are 1.13-1.43 for
faba bean/maize intercropping (Li et al., 1999) and more than one for
chickpea/maize intercropping systems too.
 When intercropped, maize grain overyielding by 43% (range: 17% -
74%) and faba bean by 26% (range: 3% - 33%) , compared to
corresponding monocultured maize and faba bean, on average over
the four years (Li et al., 2007).
 Under field conditions, faba bean/maize intercropping can reduce N
fertilizer application to 186 kg N /ha (about 38% of reduction) from
conventional 225 kg N /ha (Li et al., 2008).
 Enhanced recovery of P fertilizer about at least 10 percentage points
higher than sole cropping
 Improved ecosystem service functioning. (1) Reduced mineral N
residuals in soils. (2) legumes/cereals intercropping maintained or
improved soil fertility and against soil degradation.
Advantages of legumes/cereals intercropping

77. 40cm 40cm60cm
Narrow
14cm 14cm
Soybean was sown at the later stage of maize.
The model of maize/soybean relay strip intercropping
• Increasing the width of wide row for intercept more solar and
using agricultural machinery
• Same density of maize and soybean in intercropping and sole
• Increased crop production and nutrient use efficiency
Wide
Prof. Yang Wenyu from Sichuan Agricultural University

78. Maize soybean was sown at the same time
The model of maize/soybean int. strip intercropping
• Increasing the width of wide row for intercept more solar and
using agricultural machinery
• Same density of maize and soybean in intercropping and sole
• Increased crop production and nutrient use efficiency
70cm

79. Mechanical support
Small farm land size Unfit this region and intercropping
Mini power machine Sowing machine Maize harvest machine Soybean harvest
machine
Prof. Yang Wenyu from Sichuan Agricultural University

80. Mechanical support
Sowing maize
Sowing soybean
Harvest maize
Harvest soybean
Maize-soybean sowing
Prof. Yang Wenyu from Sichuan Agricultural University

81. Potential extension areas for maize/soybean
intercropping in China
Southwest
of China
Gansu
Shandong
Henan
Anhui
Beijing
Top record
Maize, 12000 kg ha-1
;
Soybean, 1700 kg ha-1
LER: 1.8
Top record
Maize, 11475 kg ha-1
;
Soybean, 2827 kg ha-1
LER: 1.43
Helong
jiang
Jilin
Liaolin
Ningxia
Prof. Yang Wenyu from Sichuan Agricultural University

82. Thanks for your
attention