Agricultural Diversity And Resource Use Efficiency Of Small Households On Eastern Gansu Loess Plateau

This study has chosen the three scale’s peasant household system of Tianshui, Qvzi and Shishe which transit from north to south on eastern Gansu Loess Plateau in China. Through investigations of peasant household, we detailed recorded crop and livestock production status, and also finished soil sampling of different crops filed in three sites. The main components of soil samples were measured. Introduction of diversity indices to analyze agricultural diversity in the different subsystems, resource use efficiency, comparing the agricultural structure characteristics of the study area in order to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of every structure of various agricultural systems, and then put forward reasonable suggestion and advice to optimize the local agricultural structure, promote to agricultural production economy.1 The agricultural diversity of small households:Shannon-Wiener and Pielou index of crop production subsystem was:North> Center> South, it showed the crop type of North was rich, also crop area proportion was balance; Motyka similarity index of North-South was the little, it showed the most different of same kind crop area proportion between; Wilson-Shmida index of North-South was the highest, it showed crop type difference was the biggest.Shannon-Wiener and Pielou index of livestock production sunsystem was:Center> North> South, it showed the livestock type of Center was rich, also livestock number proportion was balance; Motyka similarity index showed the same livestock number proportion between Center and South was near; Wilson-Shmida index showed type of Center and South was the same.Shannon-Wiener and Pielou index of Crop-livestock integrated system showed the integrated system composed diversity of Center was maximum, South was minimum, a single subsystem dominate the whole agriculture. Motyka similarity index showed the system structure between Center and South was near, the difference of same kind system composition between North and South was high.2 Resource use efficiency of small household systemSolar energy utilization efficiency of crops, which of corn in North and Center was the highest, potato was the lowest; alfalfa in South was the highest, soybean was the lowest. The solar energy utilization of crop, livestock and crop-livestock integrated system, North was the lowest, South was the highest.Production and economic efficiency of precipitation, which of the highest in North and Center was potato, followed by corn; Apple’s production and economic efficiency for precipitation of the South was the highest. Economic efficiency for precipitation of crop and integrated system, South was the highest, Center was the lowest, livestock subsystem was decreasing from North to South.Production efficiency of N fertilizer inputs, which of the potato in North and Center was the highest, South was fruit trees. The economic efficiency of N fertilizer, which of the flax in North was the highest, buckwheat in Center was the highest, apple in South was the highest. Economic efficiency of livestock subsystem for the N input was decreasing from North to South, and which crop subsystem and integrated system, the South was big, North was small.Production efficiency of P fertilizer inputs, which of the highest was potato in North, Central was sorghum, South was apple. Economic efficiency of P input, the flax of North was the highest, which of the highest in Center was Potato, the apple in South was the highest. Economic efficiency of livestock subsystem for the P input was decreasing from North to South, The highest economic efficiency for P input of crop subsystem and integrated system was South.Crop soil nutrient content of small farmers, whether per household or unit area of the Center was the highest; nutrient content per household in South was the lowest, nutrient content of unit area in North was the lowest.