New progress made in no-till seeding technology in China
??? Recently, the project "Key Technology and Equipment for Clean-Zone No-Till Seeding in Fields Fully Covered with Straw in Dryland," completed by a research team led by Researcher Hu Zhichao of the Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization under the Ministry of Agriculture, passed an evaluation of scientific and technological achievements in Beijing. The evaluation concluded that the overall technology of the project is at the international leading level, providing strong technical support for advancing full straw return in dryland in China and solving the problem of straw burning.
??? The evaluation expert panel held that, in response to problems such as poor smoothness, severe seed bridging and seed exposure when conventional no-till seeding equipment operates in dryland fully covered with straw, the project proposed the concept of clean-zone no-till seeding under full straw cover, invented key technologies such as "clean-zone seeding" under full straw cover, chopped-straw diversion and uniform coverage, and pressure-sliding combination for anti-blocking and anti-stagnation, and created technical equipment for clean-zone no-till seeding under full straw cover, providing strong technical and equipment support for banning straw burning and achieving on-site straw return and fertilizer utilization.
??? Supported by projects such as the National Peanut Industry Technology System, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Science and Technology Innovation Project, and the National Science and Technology Support Program, Hu Zhichao's team continued to tackle key problems and innovate. First, it invented a mechanized no-till "clean-zone seeding" tillage technology for fields fully covered with straw featuring "chopped-straw clearing, clean-zone seeding, and uniform straw covering." Second, it invented chopped-straw diversion regulation and uniform coverage technology. Third, it invented straw clearing and transport overload monitoring and pressure-sliding combination anti-blocking and anti-stagnation technology. Fourth, it integrated and created no-till seeders for corn, soybean, and peanut in wheat-stubble fields fully covered with straw, and no-till seeders for wheat in corn-stubble, rice-stubble, and cotton-stubble fields fully covered with straw. Jiang Fan