Improving crop productivity and resource use efficiency to ensure food security and environmental quality in China

In recent years, agricultural growth in China has accelerated remarkably, but most of this growth has been driven by increased yield per unit area rather than by expansion of the cultivated area. Looking towards 2030, to meet the demand for grain and to feed a growing population on the available arable land, it is suggested that annual crop production should be increased to around 580 Mt and that yield should increase by at least 2% annually. Crop production will become more difficult with climate change, resource scarcity (e.g. land, water, energy, and nutrients) and environmental degradation (e.g. declining soil quality, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and surface water eutrophication). To pursue the…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• RC
  Research Councils UK
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 41171195, 30821003
• BA
  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

  Award: BB/G530376/1
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Award: 2009CB118608