Study On Water-saving Agriculture Technology Of Dryland In Shanxi

Water shortage and drought is a worldwide problem. The shortage of water resources has severely damaged the ability for sustainable agricultural development. The problem is more obvious in the dryland for dryland agricultural production. The dryland area amounts to over 70% of the total arable land and the population living the dryland area takes 1/3 of the total population of the whole province. To rely on the modern science and technology to develop water saving agriculture and to increase the utilization rate of the limited water resources, it will be the bases for sustainable dryland agriculture development in Shanxi province.The study used wheat, maize and cotton as the trial crops. Meanwhile combine the covering of plastic mulch with water saving technology. By adopting the climate, soil, water resources and the existing water saving technology in the dryland area as the material for the study. Based on the local environment, to conduct demonstration and extention and to make suggestions for the development of dryland water saving agriculture. The result showed as follows:1. The main problem for dryland agiculture development in Shanxi is the shortage of water resources and the large area of dryland. By taking the road of combining traditional sluice agriculture with modern water saving technology, we can solve the problem of low productivity and low benefit in Shanxi province.2. As the primary crops in rainfed area such as wheat, cotton and maize, by adopting water saving technology, the yield will be increased obviously. Based on the deferent growing period, to provide defiant water irrigation technology and water amount, it will increase the utilization rate of water resources and the production.3. Shaixi province sixty years precipitation data results proved mostly focus on summer and autumn. Rainfall is up to 90% of whole years in June to September. This kind of climate is apt to produce runoff on sloping field, which is feasible to develop rain harvesting agriculture. It is also a primary approach to resolve water shortage.The above study has great significance and extension value for the guidance of sustainable dryland agriculture development in Shanxi province as well as for the other similar areas.