As the world's largest wheat producer, China's annual wheat output reaches 136 million tons, and the stability of its production is directly related to global food security. However, in recent years, China's wheat imports have continued to rise, reaching 9.96 million tons in 2022. Meanwhile, environmental problems caused by excessive fertilizer application have become increasingly prominent. How to ensure output while reducing resource consumption and environmental costs has become a core issue for sustainable agricultural development.
Recently, a research team led by Professor Zhaohui Wang from the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Northwest A&F University proposed a technical framework for green wheat production and a regionally adapted model, providing ideas to solve this problem. The related paper has been published in Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering ( DOI: 10.15302/J-FASE-2025606 ).
The study constructed a green wheat production framework from three systematic levels: soil, root zone, and canopy. The soil system focuses on improving fertility and stress resistance, and improves soil structure through technologies such as organic fertilizer application and straw returning. The root zone system achieves precise matching of nutrient supply and demand by optimizing water and fertilizer management. The canopy system enhances light energy utilization through variety improvement and planting density regulation. This multi-system collaborative technical system breaks through the limitations of traditional single technologies and lays a foundation for integrated innovation.
Based on this framework, the researchers verified the practical effects of several core technologies. In terms of soil improvement, the combined application of organic fertilizer and mineral fertilizer can increase soil organic carbon sequestration efficiency to 26% and wheat yield by 15.1%; straw returning increases soil carbon storage by 302 kg·ha–1·yr–1 and yield by 6.6%. In the field of nutrient management, the combination of deep fertilizer application and slow/controlled-release fertilizer technology can increase nitrogen use efficiency by 8.3%–16.6% while reducing nitrogen loss by 24%–50%. In terms of water management, drip irrigation technology saves 41% more water than traditional flood irrigation while increasing yield by 5%, and precise regulation of irrigation timing can further increase yield by 7.1%.
Targeting the characteristics of different agricultural ecological zones, the researchers developed differentiated technical models. In the dryland of the Loess Plateau, the "Year-round Plastic Mulching" (YPM) technology increases soil water storage by 7% and yield by 11% through full-period mulching, while reducing nitrate leaching by 63%. In the Guanzhong irrigation area, the "Efficient Nutrient and Water Management" (ENWM) model, through the coupling of soil nitrate monitoring and drip irrigation, reduces irrigation water and nitrogen fertilizer usage by 33% and 30% respectively, while increasing yield by 10% and nitrogen partial factor productivity by 57%.
To promote technology transformation, the research constructed a "Multi-subject Joint Innovation Technology" (MJIT) promotion model. Guided by policies, this model integrates resources from universities, enterprises, agricultural technology extension departments, and other parties. Through the "Science and Technology Courtyard" zero-distance service model, the technology has been applied to over 100 kha of farmland, achieving comprehensive benefits of "yield increase, fertilizer saving, and water saving".
The study points out that future efforts should focus on strengthening the research and development of regionally adaptable technologies and improving market-oriented promotion mechanisms. This achievement provides a replicable technical path for the green transformation of China's wheat industry and offers a reference for the coordinated development of global food security and ecological protection.
