Effects Of Large Scale Farm Operation On The Mitigation And Adaption To Climate Change In Agriculture Sector

Land rights transfers and upscaling of crop farming operations is a growing trend in China’s agriculture sector.However,little information availiable is about the implications of these trends for adressing climate change of crop production by producers at different scales.Farm survey was conducted in Shandong Province,a typical grain production region.Life cycle assessment（LCA）and cost-benefit analysis（CBA）were employed to evaluate the effects of scaled operation on climate change mitigation and adaption in grain production sector.Policy recommendations was provided for the government for combating climate change in grain production sectorThe main results of this study are as follows:LSO decreased the chemical fertilizer,pesticide and irrigation enerney inputs,but increased the manure,straw and mchineary disel oil inputs.The average planting area of large scaled operator for wheat-maize rotation system and wheat-rice rotation system were 97.3 and 45.9 times larger than ordinary small households.The nitrogen application rate of LSO was 7.3%-25.2%lower than SH,the organic fertilizer and straw application rate was 16.5%-27.8%higher than SH.The pesticide and irrigation energy input for LSO were lower and the machinery oil input for LSO was higher than SH.Large scale operation decreased GHG emission from grain production compared with small households.Results for wheat,maize（wheat-maize rotation system）,wheat and rice（wheat-rice rotation system）production indicated that the carbon footprint per unit area of LSO was 12.3%,20.9%,10.5%and 7.0%lower than that of SH.For LSO,the carbon footprint per unit area in wheat-rice rotation system was 77.1%higher than that in wheat-maize rotation system.In upland grain production system,emissions from nitrogen fertilizer production and application contributed 40.0%-47.6%and28.2%-33.7%of the total GHG emissions.In rice production system,CH₄ emission from rice paddies was the main source of GHGs,contributing 46.2%-49.6%to the total emissions from rice production system.The GHG emission from wheat-rice rotation was higher than that of wheat-rice rotaion,change of wheat-rice rotation into wheat-maize rotation can reduce GHG emission by 6425.4 kg CO₂eq ha^-1.A higher rate of large scale operator adopted climate change adaption practices with higher adoption capabilities.The level of mechanization for LSO was higher than SH,and the adoption rate of subsurface fertilization and water-saving irrigation for LSO was higher than that of SH.Climate change adaption practices adopted by different agricultural managing bodies mainly focused on addressing flood and drought threats and for a unified control of pest and disease damage.The rate of climate change adoption capbiliteies for LSO was higher than SH.LSO included people of younger age and higher education level than SH.Most LSO have professional management team,and cooperate with local agricultural machinery cooperation and scientific research institutions.The ability of climate change adoption for LSO was higher than SH.The net present value per unit area and cost-benefit rate for large scaled operator were higher than small households.The wheat and maize yield for LSO was 4.0%-7.9%higher than SH and tha yield of rice was 2.4%lower than SH.The net cash income per area for SH was 23.8%-34.4%higher than LSO and the cost-income rate was 101.9%-162.2%higher than LSO.Income of household was increased after land rights transfer.The average household income after land rights transfer was 14.2%higher than that before.The source of the income was changed after land rights transfer.The income form farming was changed from 54.3%to 9.8%,and the income from working was changed from 45.7%to 53.2%after land rights transfer.