South-to-North Water transfer helps "Central Plains Granary" to ensure China's Food Security

In 2014, Henan summer grain in the "Central Plains Granary" once again welcomed a bumper harvest, achieving 12 consecutive increases. However, behind years of bumper harvests, hidden worries about agricultural water resources have become more prominent, and North China, Central Plains and other regions have suffered severe droughts for many years in a row. Professionals pointed out that the imminent south-to-north water diversion project will change the situation of water shortage in the northern grain-producing areas and increase grain production capacity through the rational allocation of water resources.

Wang Hao, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that after the south-to-north water diversion project is opened, the problem of water shortage in northern grain producing areas will be greatly improved, grain production capacity will be increased, and grain production potential will be further tapped, so as to ensure national food security.

"the drought problem facing Henan is no longer seasonal and regional drought, but has already appeared hydrological drought." Huang Wei, deputy director of the planting Department of Henan Agricultural Department, said. In 2014, Henan, which has been dry for many years, suffered the worst drought in 63 years, with the highest area of autumn crops in the province reaching 27.14 million mu.

In order to fight drought and protect production, most areas of Henan have to rely on the extraction of groundwater, which makes the situation of groundwater resources in some areas worrying. "the groundwater level in western and southern Henan has dropped significantly, and the attenuation of motor wells has exceeded 30%." Zhao Lianfeng, inspector of Henan Provincial Defense Office, said.

The reporter learned from the South-to-North Water diversion Office of the State Council that 13 percent of the water in the first phase of the south-to-north water transfer project will be allocated to agriculture, which can indirectly increase ecological and agricultural water consumption by 6 billion cubic meters per year, and tens of millions of mu of farmland will be effectively irrigated after water access.

Huaxian County is the largest grain-producing county in Henan Province. In recent years, in order to ensure the safety of urban water supply, Huaxian County gives priority to the allocation of urban water every year, and agricultural water resources are seriously restricted. "after the south-to-north water transfer, more than 50 million cubic meters of water are allocated to Huaxian County every year, which can fully guarantee the use of domestic water in the city, and the source of water for agricultural production will no longer be occupied." Han Xiaowei, deputy director of Huaxian County Water Bureau, said.

According to Huang Wei, the first problem in increasing wheat production is water. At present, there are 16 million mu of dryland wheat in Henan Province, with an average yield of 300 to 400 jin per mu. With the guarantee of water supply for the south-to-north water diversion, the per mu yield of these dryland wheat is expected to reach 800 to 1000 jin.

"most of the 34 water-receiving counties in Henan Province for the South-to-North Water transfer Project are major agricultural production counties, and the annual water supply of 3.769 billion cubic meters will significantly improve Henan's water ecology and grain production capacity." Liu Zhengcai, deputy director of Henan South-to-North Water diversion Office, said.

Xu Xinyi, dean of the Institute of Water Science at Beijing normal University, said that in addition to the agricultural and ecological water supply tasks stipulated in the planning, there are important agricultural and ecological water supply tasks in the south-to-north water diversion project, regardless of the eastern route or the middle route. "when a severe drought occurs in the North China Plain, it coincides with the abundant water inflow into the Danjiangkou Reservoir, and the state can supply water to hundreds of millions of mu of farmland threatened by drought through the eastern and middle route projects."

In order to alleviate the drought in Nansihu Lake in Shandong Province this summer, Shandong urgently diverted water from the Yellow River to supplement the ecological water of Nansihu Lake through the Liangji Canal in Jining and the Dongyu River in Heze. In August, in response to the severe drought in the middle and lower reaches of the Han River, especially in Xiantao City, Hubei Province made use of the River diversion and Han River diversion Project, one of the south-to-north water diversion compensation projects, to transfer water from the Yangtze River to ensure more than 6 million mu of farmland water.

Wang Hao said: after the implementation of the south-to-north water diversion project, the annual use of 6 billion cubic meters of ecological and agricultural water will gradually restore and improve the ecological environment in the northern region, further increase the production capacity of the northern grain producing areas, tap the potential for grain production, and promote the balance between grain supply and demand. Under the condition of global warming and the increase of extreme climate, it can increase the anti-risk capacity of national food production and provide guarantee for sustainable economic and social development.