China's fruit and vegetable fertilization rates exceed safe levels, drawing attention to scientific fertilization

Currently, agriculture has surpassed industry to become China's largest “non-point source pollution” (referring to the phenomenon in which pollutants from the atmosphere and land surface are washed by rainfall and surface runoff into the hydrosphere ecosystem, causing water bodies to become polluted) industry. “Agricultural non-point source pollution is large in volume, diverse in type, and widely distributed, and the overall situation is not optimistic,” said Zhang Taolin, Vice Minister of Agriculture.

Pesticides and Chemical Fertilizers Used in Large Amounts, with Low Utilization Rates

The State Council Information Office held a press conference on the 14th to brief on the work related to the prevention and control of agricultural non-point source pollution.

“In recent years, the crops in China that receive relatively large amounts of chemical fertilizer are fruit trees and vegetables. The current fertilization rate for fruits and vegetables is relatively high and has exceeded the safe level, so it must be reduced as a priority.” Zhang Taolin, Vice Minister of Agriculture, stated that, overall, China's pesticide and chemical fertilizer utilization rates have improved markedly compared with the past, and the effect on increasing grain crop yields and income is very obvious. However, compared with developed countries, there is still room for further improvement in the utilization level of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

According to a survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, China's agricultural “non-point source pollution” problem is specifically manifested as follows: in the central and eastern provinces, it is mainly eutrophication of water environments caused by excessive application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, while in the southern provinces, it is mainly pollution of soil and water environments caused by waste from livestock, poultry and aquaculture.

“In recent years, China's use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has been quite large, with both production and use ranking first in the world. However, the utilization rate of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is about 15% to 20% lower than that of developed countries in the world, so reducing usage and improving utilization rates is imperative,” said Li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Heavy Metals: The “Invisible Killer” of Agricultural Product Quality

According to the “National Soil Pollution Status Survey Bulletin” previously released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Land and Resources, the overall national soil environmental situation is not optimistic, soil pollution in some areas is relatively severe, and the exceedance rate at cultivated land soil sampling points is 19.4%. The main pollutants are cadmium, nickel, copper, arsenic, mercury, lead, DDT and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Experts point out that “invisible” heavy metal pollution is playing the role of an “invisible killer” in the quality and safety of agricultural products, and may not only affect farmland and the surrounding rural environment, but also make ordinary consumers doubtful about the quality and safety of agricultural products. “In addition to heavy metal pollution in soil caused by industrial waste emissions, the massive input of agricultural chemicals can also lead to the enrichment of nutrients, heavy metals and toxic organic matter in soil, thereby causing land pollution,” said Zhang Fusuo, a professor at China Agricultural University.

Agricultural Film: A Fine Line Between “Resource” and “Pollution”

The ditches on both sides of the road are full of white residual film, and when a strong wind blows, strips of plastic mulch fragments hang from the branches and twigs of the trees... This is the scene a reporter saw recently while conducting interviews in the Hexi region of Gansu.

In the arid regions of the northwest, plastic mulching can control temperature and preserve soil moisture and has a significant yield-increasing effect, making it a core technology of China's dryland agriculture. However, due to the long-term use of ultra-thin plastic film and the lack of a recycling mechanism, large amounts of plastic film break apart as soon as they are lifted and remain in farmland, and the “white revolution” has brought “white pollution.” A villager from Lijiadian Township, Tongwei County, Gansu Province, who was picking up plastic film in a field, told the reporter: “If this film rots in the ground, in a few years the crops won't be able to grow!”

Response: Launching the Battle Against “Non-Point Source Pollution”

“The biggest characteristics of agricultural ‘non-point source pollution’ are that it is hidden, long-term and dispersed, making it relatively troublesome to deal with,” said Ren Tianzhi, director of the Agro-Environmental Protection Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture.

In order to curb the expanding trend of agricultural non-point source pollution, the Ministry of Agriculture issued the “Implementation Opinions on Fighting the Battle Against Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution,” proposing the “one control, two reductions, three basics” goals: “one control” means strictly controlling the total amount of agricultural water use and vigorously developing water-saving agriculture; “two reductions” means reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and implementing a zero-growth action for chemical fertilizers and pesticides; “three basics” refers to basically resource-utilizing livestock and poultry manure, crop straw and agricultural film. Compiled from Xinhua News Agency and China News Service

The rice seed involved in the incident has relatively poor resistance, and adaptability assessment will be strengthened

Ministry of Agriculture responds to super rice yield reduction and total crop failure:

At the State Council Information Office press conference on the 14th, Zhang Taolin also responded to earlier media reports about the yield reduction and total crop failure of the Anhui super rice seed “Liangyou 0293.” He said that every variety has a suitable planting region, and by normal seasonal standards, this rice seed is suitable for planting in the Jianghuai region, including Anhui.

Zhang Taolin said that super rice is a very important means of increasing grain yields and income and ensuring food security. China's super rice yield per mu exceeded 1,000 kg not long ago, and the Ministry of Agriculture requires it to be high-yielding, high-quality and efficient, while also having resistance.

“Super rice varieties themselves are also constantly being renewed and improved. Some varieties may perform well in one trait, such as high yield, but have poor resistance; some varieties may have good resistance but not yield as much as other varieties. What China now needs to cultivate is a relatively more comprehensive variety,” he said.

Regarding the yield reduction of Anhui's “Liangyou 0293,” Zhang Taolin said that every rice seed has a suitable region, and when a rice seed is approved, it is assessed by normal seasonal standards. By normal seasonal standards, “Liangyou 0293” is suitable for planting in the Jianghuai region, including Anhui. However, during the variety approval process, this variety had one shortcoming, namely relatively poor resistance to rice blast. It happened that last year was a relatively unusual year, which exposed its insufficient resistance. “Therefore, the adaptability assessment of varieties still needs to be strengthened.”