Raising ducks in paddy fields is a traditional agricultural model in China. Field experiments were conducted in rice-duck mutualist ecosystems in the double rice cropping region of Hunan Province during May to October of 2010. A conventional rice field was used as the control. The characteristics of nutrient return and...

The authors reviewed the history and characteristics of agroecology and pointed out that research areas of agroecology are broadening in both macroscopic and microscopic scales. At the macroscopic level, the investigation of agroecology was expanding from a pure macroscopic study of agricultural biology to a sociological study concerning the issues...

To explore highly beneficial use of saline-alkali reed marshlands, an eco-agriculture model consisting of reeds, crabs, spotted mandarin fish and microlepido yellowtail was developed and tested in a 23.6 ha-1 marshland. The model tamed and cultured crabs, spotted mandarin fish and microlepido yellowtail in saline-alkali water with natural food supply....

Although rice canopy structure is a critical factor that influences rice yield and quality, few research have been conducted on the effects of rice-duck farming on rice canopy structure. Canopy structure characteristics at tillering and full-heading stages of late rice were compared in a field experiment between rice-duck farming and...

Although rice canopy structure is a critical factor that influences rice yield and quality, few research have been conducted on the effects of rice-duck farming on rice canopy structure. Canopy structure characteristics at tillering and full-heading stages of late rice were compared in a field experiment between rice-duck farming and...

World agriculture currently faces great challenges to produce sufficient food while minimizing negative environmental effects. This requires rethinking current agricultural production processes. Traditional agricultural systems based on local species diversity and interactions have contributed to food and livelihood security for centuries across the world. As human population increased, however, traditional agricultural...