Mulch-no-till technique

Tackling climate crisis from the front of food production

The Kadoorie Conservation China department (KCC) collaborated with the Soil and Fertilizer Institute at the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences to develop an innovative technique called mulch-no-till. It encourages farmers to cover soil with a layer of mulch or biodegradable plastic film to keep soil warm, moist and more biologically active, thus speeding up crop growth. This method can be used for growing corn, rice and vegetables. Until 2019, the adoption rate in rice fields reached more than 400,000 hectares.

Benefits

1. Increase yield
2. Reduce fertilizer and pesticide use, thus reducing pollution
3. Increase soil organic matter
4. Cut greenhouse gas emission
5. Retain moisture, thus reducing irrigation water and labour
6. Speed up crop growth