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How to Overcome the Slow Death of Intercropping in the North China Plain

Author

Listed:
  • Til Feike

    (Institute of Farm Management (410c), Universität Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Reiner Doluschitz

    (Institute of Farm Management (410c), Universität Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Qing Chen

    (College of Agricultural Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China)

  • Simone Graeff-Hönninger

    (Institute of Crop Science (340a), Universität Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Wilhelm Claupein

    (Institute of Crop Science (340a), Universität Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany)

Abstract

Intercropping has a strong potential to counteract the severe degradation of arable land in the North China Plain (NCP). However, a rapid decline of intercropping can be observed in the last decades. The present paper investigates the reason for this development and suggests solutions on how to adjust intercropping systems to fit modern agriculture. Firstly, the developments of socioeconomic conditions for farming were assessed, analyzing the statistical yearbooks of the seven provinces of the North China Plain. Secondly, a survey was conducted in the study region to understand the current state and future of intercropping systems. The investigations revealed that, due to limited off-farm income possibilities in the past, intercropping has been a viable solution to intensively use the limited land resources per farm household. However, a shift of rural laborers into other sectors has recently been observed. Thus, decreasing importance of income from agriculture and increasing labor costs are heralding the slow death of labor-intensive intercropping systems. Two possible solutions are discussed in the paper. Either the traditional row-intercropping systems can be transformed into strip-intercropping systems that can be mechanized using existing machinery; or, new machinery has to be developed that enables the mechanization of the traditional row-intercropping systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Til Feike & Reiner Doluschitz & Qing Chen & Simone Graeff-Hönninger & Wilhelm Claupein, 2012. "How to Overcome the Slow Death of Intercropping in the North China Plain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(10), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:4:y:2012:i:10:p:2550-2565:d:20475
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Zhong, Honglin & Sun, Laixiang & Fischer, Günther & Tian, Zhan & van Velthuizen, Harrij & Liang, Zhuoran, 2017. "Mission Impossible? Maintaining regional grain production level and recovering local groundwater table by cropping system adaptation across the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 1-12.
    5. Gou, Fang & Yin, Wen & Hong, Yu & van der Werf, Wopke & Chai, Qiang & Heerink, Nico & van Ittersum, Martin K., 2017. "On yield gaps and yield gains in intercropping: Opportunities for increasing grain production in northwest China," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 96-105.
    6. Hong, Yu & Heerink, Nico & Zhao, Minjuan & van der Werf, Wopke, 2019. "Intercropping contributes to a higher technical efficiency in smallholder farming: Evidence from a case study in Gaotai County, China," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 317-324.
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    8. Hong, Yu & Berentsen, Paul & Heerink, Nico & Shi, Minjun & van der Werf, Wopke, 2019. "The future of intercropping under growing resource scarcity and declining grain prices - A model analysis based on a case study in Northwest China," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
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