Using Conservation Tillage to Reduce
Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China
Prof. Li Hongwen
Taishan Scholar and Specially Engaged Professor of Shandong University of
Technology Conservation Tillage Research Center, MOA China
China Agricultural University
www.cn-ct.net
Who I am?
• Dr. Li Hongwen, Professor of CAU;
• Taishan Scholar and specially engaged professor of Shandong
University of technology.
• Head of Conservation Tillage Research, Ministry of Agriculture,
P.R.C.
• Senior Expert of Conservation Tillage for Ministry of Agriculture
and 9 Provinces, P.R.C. Consultants for ADB and GEF projects.
• 12 times of awards and honors from China Centeral government
and Ministry of agriculture, Ministry of education, and some
provinces.
• Conservation tillage research since 1991.
CTRC
Started from an ACIAR Project
with Dr. Jeff Tullberg
1. Machines development for CT
2. Ct farming systems
3. CT / Wind erosion , Water erosion, Greenhouse
gas emission……
4. Weed control for CT
5. Measurement of residue cover rate (using Digital
picture )
CTRC
• Only and leading organization on CT in
China
• Main support to MOA on CT
• CT field since 1992
CTRC
• Proved the possibility of CT in China
small farm land, small machines
• All the technology and machines are most
used in CT areas
CTRC
• Realized double crops conservation
tillage in China.
CTRC
• Using CT to reduce wind erosion, water
erosion, and greenhouse gas emission.
Dr. Li Hongwen
is the chief
expert for Beijin
conservation
tillage
CTRC
• About more than 50% no-till planters in
China are from CTRC’s prototypes.
Want to know CT in China?
• Visit CTRC;
• Email: lhwen@cau.edu.cn
• With CTRC, you can stand on a high level
to do cooperative work.
CT/CA in China
• Accept the idea of CA
• CT cost long time fro Chinese to familiar.
In order not to make confused in the
concepts
• We treat CA as Connotation of CT
• --Prefer using CT other than CA
Effect of Conservation Tillage on GHG
pore
Electric fan
Close chamber
pedestal
crop
water
soil
ground
Study Sites
Double Cropping Area
Single cropping area
North of China
1
Site 1 Wuchuan
--- Agro-pastoral region
• Inner Mongolian, 111°42´N, 41°12´E. semiarid and agro-pastoral region, mean annual
precipitation 300-350 mm. Spring wheat.
Tillage
Conventional tillage
Residue
No tillage
cover
(760kg/ha)
Conventional tillage
No cover
No tillage
Study Sites
Double Cropping Area
Single cropping area
North of China
2
Site 2 Daxing
----Traffic and non traffic
• Beijing (39°45´N, 116°20´E). Annual
precipitation 570 mm, double crops of maize
and wheat
Conservation Tillage
Traffic Controlled
Traffic
Random
Traffic
Study Sites
Double Cropping Area
Single cropping area
North of China
3
Site 3 Luancheng
----Double crops area
• Hebei Province(37°50′N, 114°40′E). Semihumid region, average annual rainfall
550mm. double crops of maize and wheat
Tillage
Plowed with
Residue residue
return into
soil
Rotary hoe No-till with
with residue residue cover
return into
soil
Results----Site 1
Residue Covered
No till
4
Plough
Soil CO 2 flux (g m-2 h -1 )
Soil CO 2 flux (g m-2 h -1 )
3
Bare Fallow
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
No till
3.5
Plough
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Time after tillage (h)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Time after tillage (h)
Tillage Effect: Significant
1.Tiilage give more CO2 flux,135% and 70%
2. At the beginning after plow, the difference is
great,1.96,1.07
117.87
276.9
117.9
200.4
Effect of Tillage on Cumulative CO2 Flux
Results----Site 2
• Traffic and Non Traffic
CO2 **
CO2 NS
Under opaque chamber: Controlled traffic give more CO2 at crop
zone, 95.04±6.79g/m2d, random traffic 50.91±7.57g/m2d
Transparent chamber: No Significant difference
a
a
b
No significant difference between Random traffic field and
controlled traffic field
Significant between traffic zone and Controlled Traffic
Results----Site 3
• Double crops area
1000
900
conventional tillage
Rotary tillage
No tillage
CO 2 flux（mg m -2 h -1 ）
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
5-Apr 20-Apr 5-May 20-May 4-Jun 19-Jun 4-Jul 19-Jul 3-Aug 18-Aug 2-Sep 17-Sep 2-Oct 17-Oct 1-Nov 16-Nov
5/Apr 5/May
4/Jun
4/July
3/Aug
date
2/Sep
2/Oct
1/Nov
Conventional Tillage gives more CO2 emission than Rotary tillage
and No-till for the whole year. 11.30g/m2, 9.63g/m2, and 7.99 g/m2
Experiments on Fuel burn Emission
• Fuel burn emission:Daxing district, Beijing
Control traffic / None Controlled traffic
smokemeter
Machine
fuel meter
Speed Sensor
Result
1.Controlled traffic can reduced 9.7L/hm2a fuel
consumption
2. If the emission of 2.75Kg CO2 per L fuel, Then
CO2 flux 87.7kg/hm2 in controlled traffic and
114.4kg/hm2 in random traffic.
Conclusion & Suggestion
1. Soil tillage can increase CO2 emission. Straw return
to field also increase CO2 emission, but , it less than
straw burning or breeding----- Conservation tillage can
reduce greenhouse gas emission .
2. Conservation tillage, especially controlled traffic
significantly decrease fuel consumption, these mean
conservation tillage can reduce greenhouse gas
emission.
Conclusion & Suggestion
3. Conservation tillage can reduce CO2 20kg/mu
(300kg/ha) ，if 10% farmland in northern China (about
6 million ha ) , then Co2 from farmland can be
reduced by about 5×104t
4. If 5% farmland in northern China adopt
conservation tillage with Controlled traffic, then CO2
from farmland can be reduced by about 8.3×104t
only from saving fuel
5. If CO2 reduction only 300kg/ha, and CO2 price is
US$50/t, So……., one ha CT, equal to 300kg CO2
reduction, equal to US$15/ha
• It is a new topic in China, above data is
only from 2 years experiments.
Future research:
• Influence of fertilizer and herbicide on CO2
emission;
• Using Biochar to to reduce CO2 and N2O
emission
One World
One Village