Agroecological Farming Systems in China 211In the Spring–Autumn (770–481 BC) and Warring States (490–220 BC) Dynas-
ties, a more sophisticated system of integrated farming developed. In the Guan Zi,
written in the Warring States period, it was recorded that ‘food will be plentiful, if
five kinds of cereal crops were planted, the people would be satisfied if animals
were raised, and the farmers would be enriched if mulberry and economic crops
were planted’. This multi-planting system with effective use of time was reported
in the Xun Zi published in the Warring States period. Many examples were recorded
which showed the order in time of multi-harvest plantation.
Thoughts and practices from the Qin to the Tang Dynasty
History next witnessed the unification and fall of the Qin Dynasty (221–207 BC)
and the decades of warring between Chu and Han States (210–105 BC). We are
lucky to be able to find a number of systematic agriculture treatises from that time.
Some contain valuable ideas and primitive concepts of ecological agriculture.
Among the extant comprehensive works on agriculture, the four essays in Lu Shi
Chun Qiu (Master Lu’s Spring and Autumn Annals), namely, Shen Nong (Lay
Stress on Agriculture), Ren Di (Capacity of Soil), Bian Tu (Work on Ground) and
Shen Shi (Fitness of the Season) completed in 239 BC, can be claimed as the earliest
agricultural treatises. Lu Shi Chun Qiu was written collectively by scholars who were
guests at the house of Lu Buwei, the first prime minister of Qin. The above-men-
tioned essays are not independent specialized writings on agriculture, but together
form a systematic and complete set of treatises. If Shen Nong deals mainly with the
importance of promoting agricultural production at a political level, emphasizing
agriculture as the root and industry and commerce as the branches, then the three
essays Ren Di, Bian Tu and Shen Shi were devoted solely to agronomy. The three sum
up the experiences of agricultural production of the labouring people before the Qin
Dynasty and include a series of profound ideas and techniques for promoting pro-
ductivity and conservation of natural resources and the environment.
At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, society became stable and the population
grew steadily to 40 million. Experience accumulated from the past was collated,
revised and much extended to serve as a guideline for agricultural policy making. In
the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 24), Fan Sheng Zhi Shu (The Book of Fan
Shengzhi) sums up the basic principles of farming in northern China. It gives an
accurate description of the cultivation techniques, of the main crops and cash tree
species, such as spiked millet, glutinous millet, winter wheat, spring wheat, rice,
lesser beans and soya, female hemp, common perilla, male hemp, melon, gourd, taro
and mulberry. The so-called San Yi principle was formulated by that time, as stated
in Huai Nan Zi (The Book of Huai Nan Zi, about 100 BC). Since ancient times,
those who want to become masters of the people were exorted to make the best use
of time and land plus human labour for production. Consequently, crops flourished,
domestic animals thrived, trees were timely planted, and fields were regularly worked.
Mulberry trees and hemp were grown on fertile soil, while on hilly and steep moun-
tain slopes unsuitable for crop growing, trees were planted for timber and firewood.