ABSTRACT
China's economy has made great strides since 1949, and especially since China initiated economic reforms and the open door policy in the 1980s. By 1999, China was feeding 22% of the global population with only 9% of the world's arable land and per capita food availability reached levels posted by developed countries. The increase in crop production in China has arisen mainly from intensification of crop production by using improved germplasm, greater inputs of chemical fertilizers, production of two or more crops per year on the same area of land, irrigation, and weed and pest control. China has a long tradition of recycling organic materials to maintain relatively high yield levels and prevent soil fertility from declining. Soil quality is considered a key element of sustainable agriculture. The integrated management approach emphasizes the use of farming techniques such as sound soil management practices, high-yielding cultivation systems, conservation tillage, agroforestry, and cover crops.
