Agroecology Practices in South China—biodiversity in rice production

Luo Shimingsmluo@scau.edu.cn

Institute of Tropical and Subtropical EcologySouth China Agricultural University

Rice production Regions in China

1. Biodiversity in field scale

The FAO recognized Global Important Agricultural Heritage System for fish-rice co-culture in Longxian Village, Zhejiang Province.

(1) Rice-fish co-culture in terrace

Rice-Fish Co-culture has existed here for more than 1200 years. It is still practicing by farmers today.

Stable Environment for Fish

PhytoplanktonAlgaWeedSnailInsect larva

Insect ( Plant hopper)Anther of Rice

(2). Rice Duck Co-culture System

Reducing the release of CH4

Reducing diseases

Reducing plant high

Insect

weed

Mycelium

Apple Snail

SecretionN P K

(3). Intercropping with hydrophytes in rice field: Rice with Water Spinach

Rice with Yam

Rice with Water Chestnut

Rice with arrowhead

(4) Field ridge with diversified plant species

Vetiver grass around paddy field

Coreopsis around paddy field

Research showed that the spider moved from the ridge into the field after rice transplantation 广东大沙镇水稻田的拟水狼蛛从田埂迁入稻田的动态箭头：示天敌从田埂向稻田中心的扩散方向（张文庆， 2001 ，群落重建与水稻害虫生物防治，山西科学技术出版社）

Days after transplantation

Distance from the ridge

The species number of egg parasitoids of rice plant hopper kept increased after rice transplantation

广东大沙与鼎湖 1996 年晚稻稻飞虱卵寄生蜂亚群落物种累积数量百分比变化（张文庆， 2001 ，群落重建与水稻害虫生物防治，山西科学技术出版社）

Days after transplantation

The species number of egg parasitoids

Location 1Location 2

The diffusion of animals from the nearby habitat to rice field邻近农田的非作物生境中栖息的各种动物向农田扩散的示意图

(5) Mosaic arrangement and rotation overtime in paddy field is common同一时间的镶嵌种植和不同时间的轮间套作在南方稻田非常常见

2. Biodiversity used in agroecosystem scale

the reuse of energy and recycle of materials

(1) Field mulch: no-tillage potato production after harvesting the second crop of rice in Guangxi Province.

Harvest season in the no-tillage potato system in the spring .

(2) Reuse of rice straw and animal waste for earth warm production in Xinhui County, Guangdong Province.

(3) Rice straw used for mushroom production in Fujian Province

(4) Crop straw used for biogas generation (Anyang, Henan)

(5) Direct used or ammoniated rice straw used as animal feed

Eco-ditch and artificial wetland arrangement

Cana Indica

3. Biodiversity in watershed arrangement

Forestry

Orchard & Tea

Terrace

Paddy Filed

Urban Area Industry

Fish Pond and Dike System

High-bed Low-ditch System

Selter Belt System

Wind Break System

1. Agricultural Watershed Arrangement in Subtropical China

Tea plantation in Anxi County, Fujian Province 福建安溪茶园

(1) Plantation and terrace in hilly area

Intercropping of tea with soybean resulted in zero pesticide this year

Fruit Orchard in Chongqing 重庆的果园They have developed methods with zero chemical input

元阳梯田

森林景观

The distribution of forest and terrace in Yuanyang, Yunnan Province

The forest in the upper part safeguard the stable water resources for the paddy field below even in very dry seasons.

Landscape arrangement in Wuyuan in Jiangxi Province

It has become a tourists'’ hot spot during the flowering of rapeseed.

2. High-bed Low-ditch system in lowland area near Guangzhou (by Funkhouser in 1922)

H i g h b e d – l o w d i t c h s y s t e m

v e g e t a b l e F r u i t a n d fl o w e r

s u g a r c a n e

h y d r o p h y t e s fi s hW o r k i n g c h a n n e l红 萍 鱼工 作 通 道

蔬 菜

花 果

甘 蔗

3. Fish Pond and Dike System in the low land area of Pearl River Delta

Mulberry in dike Silkworm Silkworm waste

Collecting pond mudReturning pond mud to the crop in dike

N P K

D i k e P o n d S y s t e m i n l o w l a n d a r e a

l o t u sf l o w e rf r u i tg r a s ss u g a r c a n e h y d r o p h y t e

d u c k

D i f f e r e n t f i s h e s

d i k e p o n d s y s t e m 基 塘 系 统

甘 蔗 草 果 花鸭

鱼

水 浮 莲 ，凤 眼 莲 等

莲 藕

4. Diversified Crops used in submerging area and ponds

茭白 Water Bamboo

Chinese water chestnut 菱角

Water chestnut 马蹄（荸荠）

Lotus root and lotus seed 莲藕（莲子）

Arrowhead 慈姑

5. Wind break and wind belt system in coastal area

Shelter belt system along the coastShelter belt system along coast line in Guangdong

Shelter belt and wind break system

Main directionMain belt主林带落羽

杉

（ Metasequicia）

落羽杉,木麻

黄

Casurina and

Metasequicia Mangrove

红树林

Auxiliary副林带

200-250m

80-100m

Cold wave冷空气

Typhoo

n

台风

Shelter belt and Wind break System in southern coast

Ruiyun Village in Fujian ProvinceRice Production without Chemical Input

(1) Diversified rice variety(2) Vetiver grass, trap lamp, bio-pesticide(3) Recycle rice straw, green manure(4) Artificial Wetland(5) Catfish co-culture with rice

Summary• The principles of biodiversity in agroecology

are widely practiced in this monsoon rice production region covering from landscape, ecosystem, and field scale.

• It was a tradition but facing challenge today. The functions and mechanisms of these practices are being discovered and hence benefit to the preservation and spread of these sustainable practices.

Thank you!