Corn cultivation is pivotal to China’s agricultural landscape, commanding the largest planted area and yielding the highest total output among grain crops. In 2022 alone, corn cultivation spanned an impressive 43.1 million hectares across the country, producing a staggering 277 million metric tons. Yet, despite this massive scale, the average yield remains restrained at approximately 6.50 tons per hectare. This plateau in productivity underscores the urgent need to address the heterogeneous agronomic challenges faced by the four major corn-producing zones in China: the Northeast Spring Corn Region, North China Plain Summer Corn Region, Northwest Spring Corn Region, and Southwest Corn Region. Each zone grapples with unique climatic and soil constraints, which demand bespoke agricultural interventions to bolster yields and sustainability on a national scale.
A groundbreaking study led by researchers Qiang Gao and Guozhong Feng at the College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, has delivered vital insights into this multifaceted problem. By conducting extensive analyses encompassing climatic patterns, soil physicochemical metrics, and prevailing agronomic practices, the team has successfully identified the core limiting factors hampering corn productivity in each principal region. In the Northeast, centuries of black soil cultivation have culminated in structural degradation and acidification, eroding fertility. The North China Plain exhibits critically low soil organic matter contents, averaging a mere 1.31%, insufficient to sustain high yields. The Northwest’s aridity is severe, with annual precipitation dwindling to around 290 mm, accompanied by pronounced desertification. Meanwhile, the Southwest contends with intense heat stress and episodic seasonal drought, further complicating crop resilience.
Recognizing these divergent constraints, the research group developed a sophisticated regionalized technical framework hinged on integrated soil-crop system management. This model advances strategic optimization of planting density, nuanced nutrient application, and targeted agronomic interventions that collectively magnify yield outcomes and resource efficiency. By harmonizing crop management with the intrinsic resource profile of each zone, the approach transcends one-size-fits-all methodologies, paving the way for localized, sustainable intensification that aligns with China’s broader food security imperatives.
Central to this innovation is the precise calibration of corn planting densities tailored to each region’s ecological context. Field experiments underpinned by rigorous data collection unearthed optimal plant populations varying significantly by zone: 67,600 plants per hectare in the Northeast, 79,400 plants per hectare in the North China Plain, 104,000 plants per hectare in the arid Northwest, and a comparatively modest 54,300 plants per hectare in the Southwest. Such deliberate adjustment addresses the ubiquitous problem of suboptimal planting density, which, if left unameliorated, caps potential productivity regardless of technological inputs.
Complementing density optimization, the team has championed the adoption of controlled-release nitrogen fertilizers. This advanced nutrient formulation synchronizes nitrogen availability with the corn’s physiological demand curves, markedly curtailing nutrient losses via leaching or volatilization. This synchronization not only curbs environmental externalities linked to nitrogen overuse, such as greenhouse gas emissions and groundwater contamination but also elevates nitrogen use efficiency and consequent yield increments. The integration of these fertilization technologies reflects a paradigm shift toward precision agriculture, where nutrient dynamics are finely tuned to crop phenology and soil interactions.
The study also highlights the critical interaction between canopy light interception and nitrogen allocation within the crop system. Achieving an optimal balance—referred to as canopy light-nitrogen matching—is essential in maximizing photosynthetic efficiency and biomass accumulation. In parallel, bolstering soil organic matter emerges as a cornerstone of sustainable intensification. The researchers underscore the profound benefits of long-term straw returning, which enhances soil organic carbon stocks by about 17.7%, simultaneously lifting corn yields by nearly 39%. These practices improve soil structure, nutrient cycling, and microbial activity, delivering compounded agronomic dividends.
Translating these scientific advancements into tangible outcomes necessitates robust extension frameworks. To this end, the research team pioneered a “government-industry-university-research-user” collaborative model that emphasizes participatory engagement across the agricultural value chain. Anchored by the “Science and Technology Backyard” platform, this model weaves together universities, local governments, cooperatives, and farmers in a cohesive innovation network. The success story emanating from Lishu County in Jilin Province exemplifies this synergy: optimized water and fertilizer management combined with calibrated planting density yielded substantial corn production increases, a 33.4% surge in nitrogen use efficiency, and a 15% decline in carbon emissions, underscoring the dual benefits of productivity and environmental stewardship.
Beyond localized victories, the nationwide application of this regionalized technical model portends transformative impacts. Projections indicate an 11.5% augmentation in total corn output while simultaneously slashing nitrogen fertilizer input by 14.7%. This confluence of yield enhancement and resource conservation charts a practicable trajectory for China’s green agricultural development goals. The approach exemplifies how precision agronomy and regional specificity can dismantle entrenched bottlenecks that have historically constrained corn productivity at scale.
The broader implications of this research stretch well beyond China’s borders. Globally, as food demand escalates amid climate volatility and resource limitations, the imperative for context-aware crop management intensifies. The synthesis of detailed climatic, pedagogical, and soil data to drive tailored solutions offers a replicable blueprint for other major cereal-producing nations contending with regionally heterogeneous challenges. Moreover, the integration of novel fertilization technologies and soil health practices exemplifies a holistic strategy that concurrently advances yield, efficiency, and environmental health.
In essence, this study marks a crucial juncture in sustainable maize production, deploying a finely tuned blend of agronomic engineering, soil science, and extension innovation. By dismantling one-size-fits-all paradigms and building solutions grounded in empirical regional diagnostics, the research paves the way toward more resilient, productive, and eco-friendly corn systems. Such scientific rigor and applied vision enhance food security and echo the global ambition to reconcile agricultural intensification with planetary boundaries.
As China continues to grapple with the twin imperatives of feeding its vast population and stewarding its finite natural resources, this research illuminates a strategic path forward. Precision planting densities, synchronized nutrient supply, long-term soil organic matter enhancement, and collaborative knowledge dissemination constitute a concerted arsenal to uplift maize production sustainably. The promising results from pilot applications reflect not only gains in yield but also notable reductions in environmental footprint, signaling that innovation can indeed harmonize productivity with sustainability.
Future directions will likely delve further into integrated digital agriculture platforms, leveraging big data and sensor technologies to refine these models in real-time. The interplay between genetic advances in maize varieties and optimized agronomic packages also holds promise for pushing yield ceilings even higher. Moreover, extending farmer education and incentivization mechanisms remains paramount to scaling these interventions across China’s diverse agrarian landscape.
Altogether, the research led by Gao and Feng constitutes a milestone in sustainable agriculture, blending rigorous scientific inquiry with practical, scalable solutions attuned to regional realities. This balanced approach not only boosts China’s capacity to achieve self-sufficiency in staple crops but also offers a replicable model for global efforts to foster resilient, efficient, and environmentally sound agricultural systems.
Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: Evaluation and application of sustainable yield and efficiency increasing models in the main maize producing areas of China
News Publication Date: 16-Jul-2025
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.15302/J-FASE-2025615
References:
DOI: 10.15302/J-FASE-2025615 (Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering)
Image Credits: Xiaoyu LI, Hongguang CAI, Yao LIANG, Shanchao YUE, Shiqing LI, Baizhao REN, Jiwang ZHANG, Wushuai ZHANG, Xinping CHEN, Qingfeng MENG, Peng HOU, Jianbo SHEN, Wenqi MA, Guozhong FENG, Qiang GAO
Keywords: Agriculture
