Research on minimum tillage, no-tillage and mulching systems and its effects in China

Minimum tillage, no-tillage and mulching have been broadly used in modern Chinese agricultural production in the past 20 years. The application area has reached 12.34 million hectares, and a corn, soybean, rape, wheat, peanut and rice have been involved in these tillage systems. These techniques have provided obvious benefits of soil and water conservation on sloping farm-land in the hill regions; obtained remarkable effects of storing water and reducing drought in the dryland farming regions; and resulted in some success in the reclamation of saline soil. The common characteristics in different regions are building a good agri-ecological environment, improving soil physical properties, enhancing the capacity of storing water, regulating the activity of soil micro-organisms, improving the accumulation of soil organic matter and nutrients, fertilizing the land and increasing crop production. In comparison with the traditional tillage systems, crop production increased 10-20% and the benefit of soil and water conservation was 40-90%.