Sandy fields traditional farming for water conservation in China

TROUGHOUT more than 40 centuries of agricultural experience, farmers in China have developed a variety of practices well adapted to local conditions. These methods, a part of the indigenous knowledge of the local cultures, often are designed to alter environmental conditions at the micro-scale to meet the physiological requirements of crops. The need is to provide reliable production by minimizing the risk of crop failure. In addition, it is necessary to maintain the long-term productivity of the soil itself. Recently, interest in such indigenous knowledge and experience has increased with the recognition that the value of such practices is not merely idiosyncratic. These experiences and skills have implications and applications beyond the local culture or environment. Successful agronomic innovations based on indigenous knowledge and experience include alley cropping in Africa and raised field farming in highland Peru ( 9, 11 ). Many professionals in the field of agricultural development are now applying the underlying principles of such local experiences to more general environmental and agricultural problems. At the very moment that scientists increasingly are becoming aware of the value …