National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center Speeds Up the Promotion and Application of Zinc Fertilizer
On June 3, the National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center, Canada's Teck Resources Limited and the International Zinc Association signed in Beijing the fourth-phase agreement of the “Zinc Fertilizer Demonstration and Promotion” cooperation project, to further speed up the promotion and application of zinc fertilizer in Chinese agriculture.
It is understood that the zinc fertilizer demonstration and promotion project has been implemented in China for four years, with remarkable results. Trials and demonstrations show that scientifically applying zinc fertilizer increases the yields of major crops such as wheat, corn, rice, potato, vegetables and fruit trees by 8%~20%, and increases the zinc content in grain by 20%~40%, with remarkable yield and income gains. Driven by the project, for four consecutive years from 2012 to 2015, zinc fertilizer was written into the Ministry of Agriculture's scientific fertilization guidance opinions, guiding fertilizer enterprises to research, develop and produce zinc-containing fertilizer series suited to major zinc-deficient soils and zinc-deficient crops, such as zinc-containing urea, zinc-containing diammonium phosphate, zinc fulvate, and zinc-containing formula fertilizers, compound fertilizers and water-soluble fertilizers. Farmers' awareness of scientific zinc application has been continuously raised, effectively promoting the application of zinc fertilizer in Chinese agriculture.
⟦NL> According to the new cooperation agreement, the three parties to the project will continue to cooperate, and on the basis of expanding demonstrations, through training, seminars and other activities, cultivate technical talent for scientific zinc fertilizer application, and guide more enterprises to research, develop and produce zinc-containing fertilizers, so as to continuously meet Chinese agriculture's demand for zinc-containing fertilizers.
It is understood that zinc deficiency is widespread around the world, bringing serious impacts on agricultural production and human health. According to statistics, more than 450,000 children worldwide die each year from “zinc deficiency”. About 60% of China's soils are zinc-deficient, and dryland areas are even more severely affected. Zinc deficiency not only affects the growth and development of crops, but also restricts further improvement of yield levels and the use efficiency of water and fertilizer resources.
“We are pleased to continue this important work to increase the use of zinc fertilizer in China.” said Don Lindsay, President and Chief Executive Officer of Teck Resources. “With this new agreement, we can build on the success of the earlier project and, by continuing to take meaningful measures to alleviate zinc deficiency, increase crop yields and ultimately improve human health.”
“The International Zinc Association has always been committed to carrying out zinc fertilizer demonstration and promotion work in major zinc-deficient countries and on major crops.” said Dr. Fan Mingxian, Director of the China Project Department of the International Zinc Association. “The cooperation project will introduce foreign zinc fertilizer production and application technologies, promote the production and scientific use of zinc fertilizers and zinc-enriched fertilizers in China, improve balanced fertilization techniques and fertilizer benefits, and contribute to raising crop yields, agricultural product quality and people's nutritional health.”
China's soils and crops are very severely zinc-deficient, which not only affects crop yield and quality, but also adversely affects human health, especially the physical development of adolescents and children. The state attaches great importance to this. In February 2014, the General Office of the State Council issued the “China Food and Nutrition Development Outline (2014~2020)”, proposing to “focus on improving the inadequate intake of calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin A in the diets of low-income groups such as pregnant women.” Chen Shengdou, Director of the National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center, said, “The National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center will take the cooperation project as an opportunity to further intensify zinc fertilizer demonstration and promotion work, so that more and more farmers recognize the important role of zinc in agricultural production and human health, encourage farmers to apply zinc fertilizer scientifically, guide enterprises to develop zinc-containing fertilizer products, cultivate and strengthen the zinc fertilizer industry, and promote the application of zinc fertilizer in China's agricultural production.”