It is the key to reduce the application of chemical fertilizer but not to reduce the yield and improve the fertilizer efficiency.

Interview with Yang Fan, soil and Fertilizer Technology Department of the National Agricultural Technology extension Service Center

This year, since the Ministry of Agriculture launched the nationwide action of zero growth in the use of chemical fertilizer, reducing the use of chemical fertilizer and curbing the decline in the quality of cultivated land has gradually become a general consensus in the society, and the action is progressing smoothly. it has achieved the expected goal of reducing chemical fertilizer application without reducing production. Our reporter interviewed Yang Fan, deputy director of the soil and Fertilizer Technology Department of the National Agricultural Technology extension Service Center.

Q: at the beginning of the launch of the zero growth in chemical fertilizer use this year, some people worried that the reduction in chemical fertilizer use would affect grain production, and now a bumper harvest of autumn grain is also a foregone conclusion. Can this worry be dispelled?

A: since the launch of the zero growth of chemical fertilizer use, various fertilizer reduction technologies have been actively promoted throughout the country. Under such circumstances, China's summer grain output has continued to increase this year, and a bumper harvest of autumn grain has become a foregone conclusion, achieving the goal of "losing weight without reducing production."

At present, the data at the national level have not yet been counted. From the data we have, under the premise of deep ploughing and deep loosening, soil testing and formula fertilization and field scientific management, the grain yield can be guaranteed by reducing the amount of nitrogen fertilizer.

Q: over the years, farmers have formed the understanding of "applying more chemical fertilizer and beating more grain." can they accept the reduction of chemical fertilizer at once?

A: judging from our research, the degree of acceptance of farmers is still relatively high. This is mainly due to the soil testing and formula fertilization project implemented in 2005, which has changed farmers' concept of "applying more chemical fertilizer and more grain", and their awareness of scientific fertilization is also increasing. Coupled with the decline in the price of phosphate and potash fertilizer in recent years, farmers began to reduce the application of nitrogen fertilizer and increase the application of phosphorus and potash fertilizer, and the fertilization structure is gradually becoming more reasonable.

It should be noted that in terms of economic horticultural crops, farmers are still very cautious in reducing the application of chemical fertilizers, mainly because of the high economic benefits of such crops, farmers do not care much about input costs, and worry about reducing production and affecting income. This requires the agricultural technology extension department to focus on and give more accurate technical guidance.

Q: the purpose of the action of zero growth in chemical fertilizer use is not only to emphasize reducing the use of chemical fertilizer, but also to improve the utilization rate of chemical fertilizer, right?

A: it is one-sided to emphasize that reducing the amount of chemical fertilizer is one-sided. in order to ensure that crop production is not reduced, we must also improve the utilization rate of chemical fertilizer. Technically speaking, vigorously popularizing soil testing formula fertilization, promoting accurate fertilization, changing chemical fertilizer surface application, spreading to mechanical deep application, water and fertilizer integration, foliar spraying and so on can improve the utilization rate of chemical fertilizer. In addition, the promotion and application of new fertilizers, such as slow-release fertilizer and humic acid fertilizer, can also improve the utilization rate of chemical fertilizer.

Q: what are the difficulties and key points in the further implementation of the zero growth in chemical fertilizer use?

A: the technical path of the zero growth action plan for the use of chemical fertilizer is "refinement, adjustment, modification and replacement", that is, to promote accurate fertilization, adjust the structure of chemical fertilizer use, improve fertilization methods, and replace chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer. Personally, I feel that the most difficult thing is to replace chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer, which is also the most important. The first is to make good use of organic fertilizer to replace part of the chemical fertilizer nutrients and reduce the amount of chemical fertilizer; the second is to increase the content of soil organic matter, improve soil microbial activity and soil water and fertilizer conservation performance, so as to improve the quality of cultivated land; the third is to solve the problem of environmental pollution caused by livestock and poultry manure disposal and straw burning. It can be said to kill three birds with one stone.

However, as far as the actual situation in China is concerned, it is very difficult to increase the application of organic fertilizer. The price of main commercial organic fertilizer is high and the content of available nutrients is low. Only considering that organic fertilizer nutrients replace chemical fertilizer nutrients, it is difficult for farmers to accept the application of organic fertilizer on grain crops. However, farmers' self-composting organic manure is faced with some problems, such as lack of labor, lack of fertilizer source, shortage of land and so on. How to solve it, we are also trying in many aspects, such as using the government to purchase social services and so on.