Tillage Effect and Development Prospect of Fenlong Farming Tools with "Drill"

Benhui WEI

Cash Crops Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, China

Abstract In this paper, farming and crop cultivation effects of farming tools with "drill" which are invented independently in China are clarified firstly, containing horizontal cutting of soil, super deep ploughing, deep loosening and not disturbing soil layer, granular soil, soil not easy to bond and harden, and one-time land preparation. It is a significant path to deeply develop and use the "five natural resources" not fully utilized by human beings(soil resources at plough bottom and below, saline-alkali land, natural rainfall, solar energy, oxygen) and realize "mitigation" of five natural disasters(flood, drought, high temperature, low temperature and climate warming). In the past 10 years, the farming tools have been applied in 40 kinds of crops in 26 provinces of China. Compared with vertical breaking of soil by traditional "plow", the amount of loose soil, water storage and dissolved oxygen in cultivated land increased by more than one time, and yield increased by 10%-50%. They have been applied in transformation of saline-alkali land in 10 provinces, and yield increased by 30%-150%. After Fenlong treatment for 1 and 2 years, biomass of sugarcane increased by 68.9% and 50.1% respectively. Net photosynthetic rates of Gramineous crops were improved by 6.82%-11.94%, while net photosynthetic rates of Legume crops were improved by 20.32%-32.08%. After "spiral drill", "vertical two-knife drill", "vertical three-knife drill" and other hollow series of Fenlong farming toolss were invented newly. They were the most advanced farming tools with large soil discharge and small resistance, and could be equipped in large-, medium- and small-size modern Fenlong agricultural machinery as key technology, thereby setting up a new "standard stalk" for world agricultural reform and bringing benefit to mankind.

Key words Farming tools with "drill", "Drilling" farming, Transformation of saline-alkali land, "Five increases and five decreases", Increasing production and improving quality, Fenlong technique

1 Introduction

With the growing population of the world, deterioration of natural environment, and serious degradation of soil, the phenomenon of earth force "reaching the top" is gradually revealed. How to make use of the natural resources that have not yet been used or fully utilized to reach "five increases and five decreases" and open up new space for human survival and development is the current need. "Five increases" indicate multiple or significant increase of activation utilization of "five natural resources" (soil resources at plough bottom and below, saline-alkali land especially severe saline-alkali land, natural rainfall, solar energy, and oxygen). It becomes the path to solve the problems of global cultivated land resources decreasing, serious shortage of water resources, pollution of soil, water and air, climate warming and food security. "Five decreases" indicate realizing "mitigation" of five natural disasters (flood, drought, high temperature, low temperature and climate warming), to create "reservoir of cultivated land", balanced nutrition supply, deep rooting of crops, biomass increase, carbon sequestration and emission reduction, and promote harmonious development between man and nature. The "five increases and five decreases" is a world leading scientific issue undoubtedly. Fenlong technique of "drilling tillage" invented independently in China could effectively solve the above scientific issues.

5 500 years ago, Mesopotamian and Egyptian farmers began to use the "plow" that has been used to this day, and it was hailed as one of the greatest inventions by Bill Gates. Shallow ploughing of "vertical" broken soil could not pry more soil resources to support the growing population. The designed farming tools with "drill" have huge advantages of deeply developing and using above "four natural resources". "Spiral drill" of Fenlong cultivator could insert soil vertically and carry out deep rotary cultivation. It firstly realizes the tillage model of "super deep ploughing, deep loosening and not disturbing soil layer, completing one-time land preparation task", could achieve multiple utilization of soil, natural precipitation and solar energy, and better solve human needs for food, water resources and good ecological environment. Initially, it was applied as strip tillage in cultivation of cassava and sugarcane, and soil was fine and suspended, in ridge shape. The tillage model was named as "Fenlong". At present, it is defined as "drilling tillage" from operation characteristics of farming tools with drill. When extending to tillage and cultivation, it is called "Fenlong technique"[1-4], which has been widely accepted and recognized by people. In the past 10 years, it has been clear that Fenlong technique could reach incremental utilization of natural resources such as soil, water, gas and light, and promote "four-in-one" law and effect of increasing production, improving quality, water and ecology conservation[5]. Fenlong technique has been applied in more than 40 kinds of crops (rice and corn,etc.) in 26 provinces of China. Under the premise of not increasing chemical fertilizer and water,etc., increase in production of common cultivated land could reach 10%-50%[1-4], while yield increase rate of saline-alkali land could reach 30%-150%[6-8], and more than 1 time of natural rainfall could be increased[9-11]. At present, "vertical two-knife drill", "vertical three-knife drill" and other "vertical-knife drill" series of Fenlong farming tools are invented after "spiral drill" invented in 2009. According to cultivation demands of different soil types, they are applied in large-, medium- and small-sized modern Fenlong agricultural machinery as key technical equipment, which could provide key technical support for accelerating promotion and application of "Fenlong agriculture" in China and even the world. In this paper, development and application effects of Fenlong farming tools are analyzed.

2 The original source of research and development of farming tools with "drill" and the research and development of Fenlong agricultural machinery

2.1 Invention of farming tools with "spiral drill" and development of Fenlong cultivator with deep loosening"Spiral drill" was invented in 2009, and was processed by individual agricultural machinery enterprise in Binyang County of Guangxi. "Spiral drill" crushes soil in the tillage form of "double drills matched forward, inward rotation and horizontal cutting". When equipped to tractor, tillage is conducted by using its power traction and drive. It was firstly tested in farmland of farmer Huang Gongdou in Zouwei Town of Binyang County, which has achieved success. On the same dry land, five kinds of tillage models were conducted, containing slash-and-burn cultivation, land preparation by manpower, land preparation by livestock, land preparation by tractor and land preparation by Fenlong. Under zero fertilization, yield increase rates of corn and peanut by the latter farming model reached more than 8% than the prior farming model, in which yields of corn and peanut by Fenlong increased by 13% and 17% than land preparation by tractor[12]. In June of 2010, Guangxi Wufeng Machinery Company was authorized to develop and produce Fenlong agricultural machinery. Via multiple improvements, crawler self-propelled Fenlong cultivator and tractor traction type of Fenlong cultivator have come out one after another. These products have passed the identification of legal institutions and had intellectual property rights. They have been demonstrated and popularized all over the country and achieved good results. Moreover, tractor traction type of Fenlong cultivator had low cost and high efficiency, and cost of each machine reached 0.35 million yuan. Tillage area per hour (actual tillage depth was 35 cm) reached 0.67-1.00 ha, and oil consumption cost reached 300-525 yuan/ha, which was equivalent to traditional plough and rake. Product cost declined by 46.2% than prior 4 generations of products, and tillage efficiency improved by more than 1 time, and fuel consumption per hectare decreased by more than 60%[13].

2.2 Invention of farming tools with "vertical-knife drill" and development of suspension type of Fenlong cultivator of deep looseningIn recent years, hollow Fenlong farming tools such as "vertical four-knife drill", "vertical three-knife drill", "vertical two-knife drill" were invented. Their characteristics are increase of soil discharge and decrease of resistance, and they could greatly improve Fenlong tillage efficiency. They could be equipped in large-, medium- and small-sized modern Fenlong agricultural machinery as core technology. Based on the characteristics, to impel Fenlong "145" model of sugarcane in Guangxi, namely one-year Fenlong planting, four-year perennial root (increasing by one year than current perennial age), and 5 t of sugarcane accumulation in five years, "suspended Fenlong cultivator" was developed successfully by the author and Guangxi Fenlong Technology Development Co., Ltd., which has achieved good effects in sugarcane regions of Nanning and Chongzuo City.

3 Tillage effect of Fenlong agricultural machinery with "drill"

3.1 Tillage manner, efficiency, fuel consumption and quality of farming tools with "drill"Farming tools with "spiral drill" conducts cultivation in the manner of crawler self-propelled Fenlong cultivator. Compared with "plough" tillage of traditional tractor and "horizontal rotary cultivation", tillage efficiency and cost differ little, but tillage depth differs by 1-2 times, which could carry out deep ploughing, deep loosening and not disturbing soil layer (Table 1)[3].

Table 1 Comparison of efficiency and fuel consumption between "drilling" tillage of Fenlong and traditional tractor

3.2 Number and quality of tillage soil by farming tools with "drill"Compared with tillage by traditional tractor, Fenlong tillage with "drill" could maintain the soil granular and hard to harden, while tractor tillage makes the soil lumpy or powdery and easy to harden. Moreover, the amount of loose soil, water storage and dissolved oxygen by Fenlong tillage all increased by more than 1 time. At physical-chemical properties of soil, soil bulk density declined by 10% (Table 2), while available nutrients increased by 10%-30% (Table 3)[9,12,14-16]. Compared with traditional tillage, >10 mm of soil aggregate at soil layers of 0-10, 10-20, 20-30 and 30-40 cm respectively decreased by 21.79%, 13.50%, 54.59% and 43.77%; 0.25-1.00 mm of soil aggregate respectively increased by 116.60%, 64.88%, 167.91% and 87.02% (Table 4). Agglomerates with large particle size decreased, while aggregates with small particle size increased. Its formed total pore of soil and surface area of pore were larger, which was more favorable for rooting and water and nutrient absorption of crops. Soil structure by 5 000 times of microscopical scanning displayed that surface of soil particles by Fenlong tillage with "drill" was smooth, and soil particles were not easy to bond and harden, which could maintain good permeability for a long time[17]. At soil layers of 0-15, 15-30 and 30-45 cm, moisture contents of soil were improved by 10.58%, 4.16% and 24.11% (Table 5)[9,11,15,18-20].

3.3 Soil microorganism and activity of soil enzymeAfter Fenlong tillage, the microbial community in the soil was significantly higher than that in the control group of rotary tillage, in which oxidizing bacteria, potassium bacteria, inorganic phosphorus bacteria, and organic phosphorus bacteria respectively increased by 279.59%, 72.55%, 106.90% and 89.72% than control group. Additionally, activities of soil enzymes were improved somewhat, and activities of soil urease, invertase, peroxidase and acid phosphatase respectively were improved by 37.98%, 29.06%, 43.01% and 8.23% respectively (Table 6)[21].

Table 2 Comparison of soil parameters between Fenlong and traditional tractor tillage

Table 3 Available nutrients of soil in common cultivated land by Fenlong

Table 4 Soil aggregates by Fenlong tillage

Table 5 Change of physical structure of soil by Fenlong tillage at different soil layers

Table 6 Microorganisms and enzymes’ activities in soil by Fenlong tillage

3.4 Basic fertilityAfter Fenlong tillage, yields of rice[9]and peanut[12]in Guangxi under zero fertilization reached 8.05%-15.5% (Table 7). After Fenlong tillage once of paddy field in Min’an, Beiliu, Guangxi, soil was analyzed in the 7th year, and contents of alkali hydrolyzed nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, and organic matter increased by 16.29%, 42.40%, 59.77% and 21.45% respectively[9](Table 8).

Table 7 Crop yield by Fenlong tillage under zero fertilization

3.5 Water storage and water use efficiency of tillage layer by FenlongVolume of arable layer by Fenlong ultra deep ploughing enlarged by more than 1 time, and soil was loose. Infiltration rate of rainwater was improved by 30%-50%, and annual water storage capacity exceeded 1 time. When planting corn by Fenlong tillage, total water consumption respectively decreased by 12.2%-16.4% and 10.2%-14.5% when compared with rotary tillage and subsoiling, while yield and water use rate increased by 28.3%-50.6% and 19.1%-39.7%[20](Table 9).

Table 8 Chemical nutrients of soil in paddy field by different tillage models in the 7th year

Table 9 Water consumption and water use efficiency of spring corn under different treatments

4 Application effect of "drilling" tillage of Fenlong on the existing cultivated land

4.1 Root system, biomass and net photosynthetic rate of crops

4.1.1Especially developed root system, increased fine root and activity. Compared with traditional tractor, number and length of crops’ roots increased by 10%-30%[1,12,22-24]. For example, root system of each corn increased by 16.1 roots, with increase amplitude of 15.57%, and root length increased by 5.2 cm, with increase amplitude of 22.32%; root system of peanut increased by 50.96%, while root length increased by 77.60% (Table 10).

4.1.2Biomass increase. Biomass of rice[25], corn[26]and mulberry[23]increased by more than 30%, while biomass of highland barley increased by 41.38%. In Fenlong treatment for 1 and 2 years, biomass of sugarcane increased by 68.9% and 50.1% respectively.

4.1.3Improvement of photosynthetic efficiency. Net photosynthetic rates of rice, corn, sugarcane and other Gramineous crops increased by 6.82%-11.94%[1,22], while net photosynthetic rates of peanut, soybean and other Legume crops improved by 20.32%-32.08%[1,12](Table 11).

Table 10 Number and length of roots from different crops by Fenlong cultivation

Table 11 Photosynthetic characteristics of different crops by Fenlong tillage

4.2 Crop resistance

4.2.1Increased resistance. Grain filling rates of spring corn and winter wheat were improved by 10.45% and 8.84% respectively(Table 12)[19]. The activities of SOD, POD and CAT in leaves of spring corn increased by 22.44%, 15.31% and 13.92% respectively, while MDA declined by 9.60%(Table 13)[18].

4.2.2Significant yield increase of sugarcane under long-term low temperature. Compared with traditional tillage, Fenlong sugarcane grew for 38 d at 3-15 ℃, and the weights of complete, incomplete and green leaves increased by 32.52%, 14.54% and 33.56%(Table 14). Plant height and stem length increased by 54% and 62.42% respectively, and yield increased by 191.31%(Table 15)[1,22].

4.2.3The enhanced ability of resisting aridity. In 2019, rain-fed sugarcane by Fenlong was conducted in Long’an, Fusui, Binyang and other sites of Guangxi. Total rainfall during August-December was 181.25 mm, which decreased by 279.89 mm than that in last year, and decrease amplitude reached 60.7%(belonging to dry year). Leaves by traditional tillage were severely withered, and yield decreased by 20%. But leaves by Fenlong did not wilt. Via determination by experts of Guangxi Science and Technology Department, yield of sugarcane increased by 10 650-61 950 kg/ha, and increase amplitude reached 19.94%-62.39%.

Table 12 Filling rate of crops by Fenlong

Table 13 Physiological index of stress resistance of crops by Fenlong

Table 14 Properties of Fenlong sugarcane under dry and low-temperature period

Table 15 Yield of Fenlong sugarcane before and after long intermittent low temperature

4.3 Production increase and quality improvement of crops

4.3.1Yield increase by Fenlong tillage under the situation of decreasing 10%-20% of chemical fertilizer. Zero fertilizer of conventional tillage (CK0) and full fertilization of conventional tillage (CK100) were control, and full fertilization of Fenlong, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% of fertilization reduction of Fenlong and zero fertilization of Fenlong were set as treatment. The results showed that yield by full fertilization of Fenlong increased by 4.19% than full fertilization of conventional tillage. Yield by 20% of fertilization reduction of Fenlong reached 6 366 kg/ha, which was the highest, and increased by 5.81% than full fertilization of conventional tillage(Table 16)[14,27].

4.3.2Yield increase of national cultivated land. In the past 10 years, it has been applied in more than 40 kinds of crops in 26 provinces, and yield increased by 10%-50%[1-4,9,15,25]. In Hunan, Guangxi and other sites, rice yield in each season increased by 1 506 kg/ha, with 20.31% of increase amplitude(Table 17). Via field measurement of experts in Guangxi for 17 times, yield of sugarcane increased by 25 560 kg/ha, with 32.5% of increase amplitude(Table 18). Yield of crops in dry land by Fenlong in the whole country increased by 20.03%-117.32%(Table 19). Among them, yield of corn in Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi and other regions increased by 1 950 kg/ha, with 20.5% of increase amplitude. Yield of wheat by Fenlong in Henan increased by 1 821 kg/ha, with 29.90% of increase amplitude. In Guangxi Jinguang Farm of 2017, yield of winter potato by Fenlong tillage increased by 33 048 kg/ha, with 79.7% of increase amplitude. In Hebei, Gansu and other regions, yield of potato increased by 13 245 kg/ha, with 36.3% of increase amplitude. In Guangxi, yield of millet by Fenlong increased by 1 559.55 kg/ha, with 36.5% of increase amplitude. In 2019, it was firstly tested in Shannan City of Tibet, and yield of highland barley by Fenlong increased by 954 kg/ha, with 20.03% of increase amplitude. Via Fenlong tillage, quality of crops was improved, and quality of rice, sugarcane, soybean, forage grass and other crops was improved by more than 5%(Table 20)[1,9,15,22,28].

4.4 "Rain-fed agriculture" of zero irrigationSince 2018, crop cultivation of zero irrigation by Fenlong for 40 cm was conducted in Yanshan County of Hebei. Effective spike of wheat by zero fertilization of Fenlong per hectare reached 6.825 million, and grain number per spike was 535.35 grains/ha, and yield reached 7 344 kg/ha. Effective spike of wheat of subsoiling and conventional irrigation manner per hectare reached 4.905 million, and grain number per spike was 476.7 grains/ha, and yield reached 5 752.5 kg/ha, which respectively increased by 39.14%, 12.96% and 27.67%. In zero irrigation of the second crop of corn, yield still increased by 10.47%[29].

Table 16 Yield of rice by fertilization reduction of Fenlong cultivation

5 Physical and low-cost improvement of saline-alkali land by "drilling" tillage of Fenlong

5.1 Principle and method of physical transformation of saline-alkali land by Fenlong

5.1.1Core mechanism. Fenlong carried out super deep ploughing and deep loosening, and soil was crushed and suspended, with large porosity. Capillary was cut off, and rainwater infiltration rate accelerated by 30%-50%, making soil salt at 0-20 cm of tillage layer move downward to 20-60 cm and crops emerge and grow normally[6](Table 21).

5.1.2Transformation method. Research results in the past 10 years showed that transformation task of mild saline-alkali land could be completed by Fenlong tillage once. For moderate saline-alkali land, it needed 1-2-time Fenlong tillage. For severe saline-alkali land, it needed 3-5-time Fenlong tillage, and interval time of each operation was 2-3 months and even 6 months. Moreover, it’d best to combine planting of green manure and application of organic manure in the third time, with better transformation effect.

Table 17 Yield increase of rice by Fenlong in some regions of China

Table 18 Yield increase of sugarcane by Fenlong tillage in some areas of Guangxi

Table 19 Yield increase of upland crops by Fenlong in some areas of China

Table 20 Quality improvement of different crops by Fenlong

Table 21 Fenlong tillage promoting salt of saline-alkali land migrating from upper layer to middle and lower layers

5.2 Improvement effect of moderate saline-alkali land by FenlongTotal salt content of soil at 0-20 cm of tillage layer of saline-alkali land in Yinchuan of Ningxia declined by 54.7%, and yield of corn increased by 1 803 kg/ha, with 12.1% of increase amplitude[7]. Total salt content of soil in Caocun Town, Fuping County, Shaanxi Province declined by 42.73%, and yield of corn reached 11 257.95 kg/ha, which increased by 2 908.05 kg, with 34.89% of increase amplitude. Yield of corn in agricultural high area in the Yellow River Delta of Shandong reached 7 380 kg/ha, which increased by 1 560 kg, with 26.80% of increase amplitude. Yield of wheat in Lankao County of Henan reached 9 118.5 kg/ha, which increased by 682.5 kg, with 8.1% of increase amplitude.

5.3 Improvement effect of severe saline-alkali land by Fenlong

5.3.1Saline-alkali land in Xinjiang inland[6]. Via Fenlong once, soil alkalinity in Donggan Canal, Xingping Township, Yuli County of Xinjiang declined by 41%. Via field determination by experts, yield of unginned cotton reached 5 703 kg/ha, which increased by 1 870.5 kg, with 48.80% of increase amplitude. In the 4th year, yield of unginned cotton reached 6 186 kg/ha, which increased by 2 782.5 kg, with 81.7% of increase amplitude.

5.3.2Saline-alkali land of Shandong coast[6]. In 2017, Management Committee of Agricultural High Zone in the Yellow River Delta of Shandong cooperated with Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Total salt content of soil in 9.2‰ of severe saline-alkali land by the first time of Fenlong declined by 31.52%. The second time of Fenlong made weed amount reach 8 404.5 kg/ha, which increased by 71.4%. In the third time of Fenlong for 0-20 cm, salt content of soil declined to 4.3‰, and emergence rates of corn and sorghum reached more than 90%. Via acceptance by experts, fresh weight of corn reached 12 150 kg/ha, with 73.0% of increase amplitude, and salt content of grain declined by 21%. Moreover, biomass of sorghum reached 123 300 kg/ha, with 287.9% of increase amplitude. Winter wheat was planted after harvesting summer corn. Via field determination by experts, yield reached 5 583 kg/ha, which increased by 3 387 kg than control, and increase amplitude reached 154.2%(Table 22).

Table 22 Yield increase by Fenlong transformation in some moderate and severe saline-alkali lands of China

6 Conclusions and discussions

6.1 "Drilling" tillage of Fenlong realizing the "monumental" breakthrough of agricultural tillageHuman farming evolution experienced from knife ploughing (slash-and-burn cultivation), human farming(land preparation by hoe), ploughing(land preparation by animal power and machine power), rotary tillage(land preparation by tractor)to current drilling tillage (one-time soil preparation by vertical and horizontal cutting of drill). Drilling tillage implements ultra deep tillage, and breaks "ploughing" of traditional shallow tillage, making that the impossibility of originally deep ploughing and deep loosening become possible. Human beings have realized the activation, improvement and utilization of the soil resources at the plough bottom and its below and severe saline-alkali land. Moreover, natural rainfall which was not easy to use and even caused flood increased by more than 1 time, further effectively broadening the space for human survival and development. In the past 10 years, Fenlong tillage was applied in national cultivated land and saline-alkali land, which realized 20%-150% of natural yield increase of crops, 5% of quality improvement, and more than 30% of comprehensive ecological improvement(20% of chemical fertilizer reduction and drought reduction), could meet material and environmental requirements for high-quality human development and provide new technical support for green and ecological development of agriculture.

6.2 Fenlong farming tools with "drill" equipped in modern Fenlong agricultural machinery as key techniqueAt present, the invented multi Fenlong farming tools with "drill" have different characteristics, could carry out vertical deep rotary cultivation, and realize super deep ploughing and deep loosening. Moreover, the soil is mostly granular and is hard to bond, making the cultivated soil maintain relative loose state in continuous 3-5 years. It could not only promote light tillage and no tillage but also be used as conservative tillage (it could enter conservative tillage status via Fenlong once). What’s particularly striking is that the newly invented hollow type of Fenlong farming tools with "vertical-knife drill" drives vertical knife via screw disk to cut soil horizontally, to suspend soil. It could maintain the soil of whole tillage layer not disordered, and advantage is more obvious. It could be equipped in various types of Fenlong machinery as key technique, containing tractor traction, tractor suspension, whole-machine information, and whole-machine intelligence. It not only generates a high-end characteristic agricultural machinery but also creates a new era of Fenlong farming, and optimizes cultivation mode in China and even in the world. It uses various natural resources more widely, and meets the increasing demand of human beings for food and environment.

6.3 Fenlong tillage tools with "drill" still having the potential of further in-depth explorationVertical rotary tillage of farming tools with "drill" has the problems of tillage resistance and drill wearing. So, it should enhance systemic optimization research on drill structure and material utilization, and use a new light and wear-resistant synthetic material as much as possible, to decline its resistance. "Drill" belongs to ultra deep cultivation, and is easy to damage when encountering big stone, wood and other hard objects at 0-40 cm of tillage layer. In tillage process, it should increase induction avoidance function, which could solve some problems. Fenlong tillage has the characteristics of rotary tillage in the same direction, and farming tools with "two-knife drill" have better advantages of drag reduction and efficiency improvement. To enhance further deep research, 3, 4 and even 5-6 m of large-scale Fenlong agricultural machinery could be prepared to provide promotion and application of high-efficiency operation in plain region.