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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 30(2)

Integrated crop-livestock production systems in China

F. J. Hou A D , Z. B. Nan A , Y. Z. Xie B , X. L. Li C , H. L. Lin A and J. Z. Ren A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, Gansu, China.

B Institute Grassland Science, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.

C Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100094, China.

D Corresponding author. Email: cyhoufj@lzu.edu.cn

The Rangeland Journal 30(2) 221-231 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ08018
Submitted: 15 April 2008  Accepted: 29 April 2008   Published: 3 June 2008

Abstract

The integrated crop-livestock production system provides most of the food needed by the people of China. Five types of integrated production systems are recognised; rangeland, grain crops, crop/pasture, agro-silvopastoral and ponds. Development of more sustainable and integrated crop-pasture-rangeland-livestock production systems has been recently achieved. Demonstrations of the integrated systems at household, village and regional levels are occurring for rain-fed agriculture on the Loess Plateau, the Hexi Corridor, north-western China and the Karst region of Guizhou Province, south-western China. These indicate that integration of crop, livestock and forage are effective means of improving agricultural productivity, environmental sustainability and farmers’ incomes. Widespread adoption of integrated farming systems should also reduce rangeland degradation.

Additional keywords: crops, environment, grasslands, ponds, rangelands.


Acknowledgements

This paper is supported by National Key Basic Research Foundation Project of China (2007CB108902), National Natural Science Foundation of China (30771529) and National Key Project of Scientific and Technical Supporting Programs (2006BAD16B01). We thank Cory Matthew and an anonymous reviewer for comments that improved the paper and Cory Matthew and Kenneth Hodgkinson for editorial work on draft manuscripts.


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