As the most populous country in the world, China feeds 19.1% of the global population with only 8.6% of the world’s arable land. This achievement has been built on a long-standing agricultural model that heavily relies on high fertilizer inputs—China accounts for 32% of global nitrogen fertilizer use, far exceeding that of most countries. However, this “high input, high output” approach has raised concerns: excessive fertilization has led to soil acidification, nitrate pollution in water bodies, PM_2.5 emissions, and other environmental issues, which in turn restrict agricultural sustainability. The challenge is how to ensure food security while reducing environmental costs—a common dilemma faced by global agriculture.
Recently, Professor Wenfeng Cong et al. from China Agricultural University proposed a solution called “green technology”, validated through over 12,000 field comparison trials conducted via a nationwide collaborative network. This research not only addresses the aforementioned challenges but also introduces a novel agricultural research paradigm—the “12345” model. This model emphasizes starting from actual production needs and resolving the dual contradictions between high yield and environmental protection, as well as economic growth and ecological preservation, through multidisciplinary collaboration and participation from multiple stakeholders. The relevant paper has been published in Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering (DOI: 10.15302/J-FASE-2025630).
The core of “green technology” is to optimize the “soil-crop-microbe” system to achieve a synergy of “high yield, high efficiency, and low pollution”. Specifically, it includes three key directions. First, constructing high-yield populations by breeding dense-tolerant varieties, adjusting planting densities, or promoting intercropping systems like corn and fava beans to fully utilize light and heat resources. Second, enhancing efficient rhizosphere regulation by using smart fertilizers that precisely match the nutrient needs of crops at different growth stages, or utilizing ammonium nitrogen to promote root growth and phosphorus uptake, thereby improving fertilizer utilization rates. Third, cultivating healthy soils through methods such as combined application of organic and chemical fertilizers and no-till practices to improve soil structure and microbial diversity, providing a foundation for high yields.
What are the effects of this technology? The research team integrated annual field trial data from 12,403 sites conducted between 2005 and 2020 through the national collaborative network. The results showed that compared to conventional farming practices, green technology increased food production by 21%–87% without significantly increasing nitrogen fertilizer inputs, improved nitrogen utilization efficiency by 24%–32%, and reduced nitrogen loss and greenhouse gas emission densities by 50%–56% and 31%–47%, respectively. By 2015, approximately 20.9 million farming households across 452 counties had adopted this technology, covering an arable area of 40 million hectares.
The paper notes that in the context of rising fossil fuel costs, future increases in food production can no longer rely on “piling on” chemical fertilizers; instead, they must achieve “less input, more output, and low pollution” through enhanced efficiency. China’s practices demonstrate that this goal is entirely feasible—if green technology is widely adopted, the impact of Chinese agriculture on global resource consumption, nitrogen and phosphorus loss, and greenhouse gas emissions will be significantly reduced, while also contributing to the achievement of multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
From theoretical paradigms to farmer practices, this research not only provides a viable pathway for resolving the contradiction between “high yield and environmental protection” but also serves as a reference model for other countries aiming for a green transformation in agriculture through the application of green technology.
DOI: 10.15302/J-FASE-2025630