Integrated Farming Systems at Different Scales 445families in the pilot area have used mixed feeds for pigs and chickens, and 53.2 per
cent of families have begun to use mixed feeds with straw to raise cattle and sheep.
These methods have led to a rapid growth in animal production and the meat(eggs)
to feed ratio.
Because of the increase in the number of domestic animals and poultry, and
the application of more organic fertilizer, the condition of salt–alkaline land has
been improved and the yields of grain and cotton have increased. It is estimated
that there are 1.6 million tons of manure produced in Yucheng every year. The
organic matter content in the surface soil has been improved from 0.98 per cent in
1990 to 1.26 per cent in 1995 and the salt content of the ploughed layer has been
lowered from 0.25 per cent to below 0.2 per cent. The effects of fertilizing and
de-alkalinizing is significant. From 1994 to 1996, the government of Shandong
Province organized on-the-spot meetings, and in 1995 Yucheng won an award as
one of the ten best example counties in breeding cattle using crop stalks.
- Combining agriculture with cottage industry
Stimulating the food chain structure of the ecosystem, the county combines agri-
culture production with industry so that primary productivity can be fully used
and substances can be recycled and regenerated in effective ways. The government
of Yucheng has developed brief and easily understandable guidelines for develop-
ment of this interactive relationship as ‘Township enterprises should be based on
and supported by agriculture’. - Strengthening the linkage between production and scientific research
Since 1996, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) have established an experimental station with a pilot
area of 11.5km^2 in the low-lying land along the dykes of the Yellow River, which is
a typical area in Yucheng. Through joint efforts of experts of various disciplines
from research institutes and local technicians and farmers, a series of advanced
technologies have been introduced and developed. In order to comprehensively
restore salt–alkaline land and improve agriculture productivity, the measures taken
include:
1 An integrated irrigation system, combining wells, ditches and pipes. An open
ditch system network was constructed to overcome waterlogging and alkalini-
zation caused by five-yearly heavy floods, and three days’ 166mm precipitation
could be drained within a day after rainfall. A network of wells were constructed
to provide irrigation and drainage; to reduce seepage and water pressure, and to
increase groundwater resources and regulate the district groundwater table. Some
other techniques were also set up for well irrigation engineering using pumps
and pipes (underground water transporting pipes) and for irrigation (using
plotted field engineering).
2 A series of irrigation measures. Water resources in this area are very scarce. It is,
therefore, important to study the characteristics of salty water and techniques to