Surface Fertigation Practices for Smallholder Farmers in the North China Plain

The North China Plain (NCP) stands as a densely populated region vital for agriculture, sustaining a large population through intensive farming practices. However, the reliance on irrigation and fertilization in the region has led to inefficiencies in water and nutrient use, compromising the sustainability of agriculture and contributing to environmental degradation. To address these challenges, the focus of this study is on optimizing water and fertilizer management, particularly through surface fertigation. This method involves applying fertilizers dissolved in irrigation water to enhance water use efficiency (WUE) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Each section explores different facets of surface fertigation, aiming to improve the uniformity of fertilizer distribution in irrigation water, subsequently enhancing crop yields while reducing water and fertilizer leaching.