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Soil degradation: a problem threatening the sustainable development of agriculture in Northeast China

Author

Listed:
  • X.B. Liu

    (Laboratory of Black Soil Ecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, P.R. China)

  • X.Y. Zhang

    (Laboratory of Black Soil Ecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, P.R. China)

  • Y.X. Wang

    (Heilongjiang Institute of Water and Soil Conservation, Harbin, P.R. China)

  • Y.Y. Sui

    (Laboratory of Black Soil Ecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, P.R. China)

  • S.L. Zhang

    (Laboratory of Black Soil Ecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, P.R. China)

  • S.J. Herbert

    (Center for Agriculture, College of Natural Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA)

  • G. Ding

    (Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD, USA)

Abstract

Soil degradation that results from erosion, losses of organic matter and nutrients, or soil compaction are of great concern in every agricultural region of the world. The control of soil erosion and loss of organic matter has been proposed as critical to agricultural and environmental sustainability of Northeast China. This region is bread basket of China where the fertile and productive soils, Mollisols (also called Black soils), are primarily distributed. In this paper, we introduce the importance of Northeast China's grain production to China, and describe the changes of sown acreage and grain production in past decades. This paper also summarizes the distribution, area and intensity of water erosion, changes in the number of gullies and gully density, thickness of top soil layer, soil organic matter content, bulk density, field water holding capacity, and infiltration rates; the number of soil microorganism and main enzyme activities from soil erosion in the region are also summarized. The moderately and severely water-eroded area accounted for 31.4% and 7.9% of the total, and annual declining rate is 1.8%. Erosion rate is 1.24-2.41 mm/year, and soil loss in 1°, 5° and 15° sloping farmlands is 3 t/ha/year, 78 t/ha/year and 220.5 t/ha/year, respectively. SOC content of uncultivated soil was nearly twice that of soil with a 50-year cultivation history, and the average annual declining rate of soil organic matter was 0.5%. Proper adoption of crop rotation can increase or maintain the quantity and quality of soil organic matter, and improve soil chemical and physical properties. Proposed strategies for erosion control, in particular how tillage management, terraces and strip cultivation, or soil amendments contribute to maintain or restore the productivity of severely eroded farmland, are discussed in the context of agricultural sustainability with an emphasis on the Chinese Mollisols.

Suggested Citation

  • X.B. Liu & X.Y. Zhang & Y.X. Wang & Y.Y. Sui & S.L. Zhang & S.J. Herbert & G. Ding, 2010. "Soil degradation: a problem threatening the sustainable development of agriculture in Northeast China," Plant, Soil and Environment, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 56(2), pages 87-97.
    • Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:56:y:2010:i:2:id:155-2009-pse
    DOI: 10.17221/155/2009-PSE
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Cuilan LI & Shuqing GAO & Jinjing ZHANG & Lanpo ZHAO & Lichun WANG, 2016. "Moisture effect on soil humus characteristics in a laboratory incubation experiment," Soil and Water Research, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 11(1), pages 37-43.
    2. J.J. Zhang & H. Li & H.J. Gao & P. Zhu & Q. Gao & L.C. Wang, 2014. "Effects of long-term fertilization and cropping regimes on total nitrogen and organic nitrogen forms in a Mollisol of Northeast China," Plant, Soil and Environment, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 60(12), pages 544-549.
    3. Xuesong Zhan & Shuqi Xin & Chaofeng Shao & Feng Yang & Yuhan Long, 2023. "Study of the Spatio-Temporal Variation of Agricultural Sustainability at National and Provincial Levels in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-23, November.
    4. Hao Li & Wenjing Zhao & Jing Wang & Xiaozhe Geng & Chunyu Song, 2024. "Evaluating the Accuracy of Contour Ridgeline Positioning for Soil Conservation in the Northeast Black Soil Region of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-15, April.
    5. Futao Zhang & Yunfa Qiao & Xiaozeng Han & Bin Zhang, 2021. "Variation of soil organic matter depends on light-fraction organic matter under long-term monocropping of different crops," Plant, Soil and Environment, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 67(10), pages 588-599.
    6. X.W. Chen & A.Z. Liang & S.X. Jia & X.P. Zhang & S.C. Wei, 2014. "Impact of tillage on physical characteristics in a Mollisol of Northeast China," Plant, Soil and Environment, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 60(7), pages 309-313.
    7. Ž. Videnović & M. Simić & J. Srdić & Z. Dumanović, 2011. "Long term effects of different soil tillage systems on maize (Zea mays L.) yields," Plant, Soil and Environment, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 57(4), pages 186-192.

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