STB, a New Plateform for smallholder farmers

Hongyan Zhang, Xiaolin Li and Fusuo Zhang

China Agricultural University, Beijing, China

Outline

1.Background

2.What is STB

3.Work of STB

4.Summary and perspective

Farm size• Household num.: 2.5×109

• Ave. ferm size: 0.5 ha• Land pieces per family: 5.7

1.Background Smallholder farmer, working for food security of China

Farmer • Less educated• Mainly women

and old people

Field • large variation

Crop production• Low yield and

low efficiency

Contribution of selected management and soil factor on maize yield gap among farmers(n=153)(Zhao et al, unpublished data)

Soing-date Growth-period density N-rate P2O5-rate K2O-rate Total-N Olsen-P Available-K SOM pH EC

Mai

ze y

ield

gap

%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

• Management practices Soil characteristics

Mai

ze y

ield

gap

(%)

2.What if STB? STB= Science and Technology Backyard

2009-4 towns10 villages 10 STBs,

Science and technology small

backyard

2009-3 T:Eat togetherWork togetherLive together

Investigations about the factors limit crop yield and resource use efficiency Conduct field experiment with farmers

3. Work of STB• Optimization of the Double high technologies

The optimized DH techniques for winter wheat

Wheat Variety

Maize Variety

Planting density of maize

Seeding date and rate on wheat

Seeding date on maize

Harvesting date on maize

Rate of Nitrogen application on wheat

Rate of Nitrogen application on maize

Top-dressing date on wheat

Deep tillage for wheat

A. Yield gap between good practice and bad practice

9.4%

19.8%

20.6%

6.3%

15.0%

14.4%

11.6%

7.5%

6.2%

5.8%

0%10%20%30%

(Zhang et al, Nature, 2016)

platform Information transformation Extension

Demonstration

STB

FarmerTraining

Hand by hand Service Got help

FarmerOrganization

See possibility

See technology

effect

Arise need

Understandtechnology

Arise willing

use

Decision

Large scale

extension

Company

Local ext.

Depart.

farmer

Project

Government

• Transfer new technology from scientist to farmer’s field

Composition of the STBY DH technique extension system in Wangzhuang

village,Situan town, Quzhou county

Step1: Built up demonstration zone and show the effect of the DH techniques

Field day

STSBY

Experiment

Demonstration zone

Wangzhuang village

Step2: Train the farmers through different ways: face to face

截止2011年1月17日双高基地开展的农民培训活动在各村的分布及培训内容

★曲周镇

大河道乡

安寨镇侯村镇

依庄乡

里岳乡

槐桥乡

第四疃镇

河南疃镇

白寨乡

★曲周镇

安寨镇

侯村镇

依庄乡

里岳乡

槐桥乡

第四疃镇

河南疃镇

白寨乡

2009年

2010年

大河道乡

培训村分布

培训内容

玉米双高技术

小麦双高技术

棉花双高技术

测土施肥技术

西瓜双高技术

苹果双高技术

辣椒双高技术

甘蓝双高技术

番茄双高技术

茄子双高技术

黄瓜双高技术

2009.6~2011.1：10乡镇、323村、473场、23661人

From 2009.5-10 towns , 323 villages587 trainings , 37865 farmers

Field school

Farmer training

Technology corridor

Step3: Organization of the farmers: develop agricultural producers’ cooperative

land machine farmers ①Land transference ②Machinery cooperative ③Farmers’ cooperative

Step4: Give the farmers hand by hand service during the growing seasons

tweeter blackboard

motor tricycle Field service

Step5: Cooperate with local government and Fertilizer company to enlarge new technology extension

Mr Bai, the head of Quzhou

County, introduced the

DH organized by STB to Mr Zhang, the vice governor

of Hebei province

①STB and new technology give confidence to local government and the action of STB became the action of local government

②STB help fertilizer industry optimize their products and training staff to improve there service to farmers

New fertilizer

Company staff

training

Fertilizer introduc

ed to farmer

Changes of the wheat and maize yield in Quzhou county(Data source: Statistic bureau of Quzhou county)

2009

+61%

+43%

Year

Wheat

Maize

STB established

Yiel

d, t/

ha Award by local government

Preliminary results

“万亩方田麦进仓，农民个个喜洋洋。今年丰收来不易，老天天气帮倒忙。冬雪早下春天寒，过年双冻接连三。看着小麦要绝产，农民上头做了难。领导重视经常看，农大师生第一线。广播宣传地里转，科学管理送田间。地头打起抗大学，取得粮食来高产，比打日本还作难，地头老师来上课，科学管理来普及。换来这样的好良田。平均产量千把斤，高产地块更高产。

农大扎根在曲周，科技指导保丰收，玉米囤满麦屯鼓，幸福生活有奔头，吃水不忘挖井人，农大功绩垂千秋

三夏当中人倍忙，又收又种忙断肠，科技指导是指南，一天到晚不得闲，千辛万苦保丰收，农大功绩留诗篇

The most important: the farmers write poems for the scientists to show there thanks

University

•Research•Education •Service•Policy input

Lead farmer

CooperativeFarmer feedback & innovation

Management tools re-fitting

Knowledge Action

A schematic illustration of the function of STB

4. Summary and perspective

wheat, maize, rice and other grain crops

cotton, potatoes, soybean and other cash crops

fruits and vegetables

81 STB in China

For food security: small holder---medium size---large scale (state farm)For both food security and farmers income: grain---vegetable---fruit tree

Thanks