Detailed Explanation of the Key Points of the Three-Ridge Soybean Cultivation Technique

In the early 1980s, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University combined agricultural machinery with agronomy and gradually formed a complete, effective, comprehensive mechanized high-yield soybean cultivation technology system, called the "three-ridge" (or "three ridges") cultivation technique. The so-called "three-ridge" refers to the use of three mechanized operation techniques on the basis of ridge tillage: first, deep loosening of the ridge body and furrow in stages and at intervals; second, layered deep application of base fertilizer; third, precision double-row sowing on the ridge. The above three operations are completed by machinery in one pass. After this technique was promoted, various regions made some improvements according to specific conditions, such as narrowing the row spacing and precision sowing of three rows on the ridge.

Yield increase and efficiency gains: The "three-ridge" soybean cultivation technique improves the structure of the plow layer, expands soil volume, promotes soil permeability, raises soil temperature, and thereby coordinates the relationship among water, fertilizer, air, and heat, promoting the growth of soybean roots; it increases the green leaf area and improves light energy utilization. Precision double-row sowing on the ridge makes plant distribution more uniform, overcoming the previous uneven emergence of seedlings with drilling; layered fertilization improves fertilizer utilization, changes the previous practice of shallow fertilization, gives play to the effect of the fertilization position, increases the area of contact between soybean roots and fertilizer, ensures the nutrient demand of soybean during the flowering and podding stages, and prevents premature aging of the plants. Compared with ordinary ridge tillage, it increases yield by more than 10%, and the annual soybean yield per unit area can be stably maintained at more than 165 kg per mu.