| Tianshui city of Gansu Province is located at the joint region between the Longdong Loess Plateau and the west Qinling Mountains. Agricultural production in the area is restricted by disadvantageous natural resources and environmental conditions, including low arable land area per capita, frequent drought events and a landscape dominated by mountains. Forage crop rotation systems could improve soil fertility, increase crop yield and provide quality forage supplies for livestock production. Additionally, their adoption is considered a suitable means to advance sustainable agriculture development. In this study, the role and status of forage crop rotations in Tianshui city were studied. The major findings were as follows:(1) Forage crop rotations in the Tianshui region are a suitable farming system to access sustainable development.(2) The forage crop rotation practice must consider:physical condition, advantages and disadvantages of available resources, reasonable arrangement and other measurements.(3) The major forage rotation patterns in the Tianshui region are:"soil fertility restoration" pattern, "soil and water conservation" pattern and "livestock demand" pattern.(4) Based on the cycle economy principles, an eco-energy-type agricultural cycle model is put forward. The proposed model includes forage cultivating, livestock feeding and renewable energy resources exploration. It is expected that after it's implementation, high efficiency agricultural systems will be established for the region. |
