Exploring the Ancient Chinese Science of Agriculture

From the development of early terraces, to the use of water wheels to power irrigation systems, the Chinese have contributed much to our current knowledge of agriculture. Their ancient methods of preserving food, utilizing beneficial insects, and expanding their crop yields have been studied for centuries and are still used today in many parts of the world. But what makes the Chinese agriculture stand out from others, and what have we learned from it?

Examining the Chinese Agricultural Revolution

From the Neolithic period onwards, Chinese farmers had discovered systematic means for manipulating the environment to increase their crop yields. As early as the Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 BCE), the Chinese had begun to develop rudimentary irrigation systems, terraces, pond dams, and crop rotation. During the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE), the Chinese were able to substantially increase their crop yields by utilizing beneficial insects such as ladybirds and lacewings, and by using mixtures of crops that complemented each other, such as beans and wheat.
zhang kaiyv @ Unsplash

At the same time, the Chinese were also developing a number of techniques specifically suited to their unique environment. This includes the use of mulch and intercropping to reduce weed growth and conserve water, the use of manures to improve soil fertility and the development of artificial materials to facilitate dry farming in areas where irrigation was not available.
pixelperfektion @ Unsplash

Turning Fields into Fertile Gardens

In order to turn their fields into fertile gardens, the Chinese developed a variety of systems and techniques to increase their crop yields and reduce the impact of environmental changes. One of the most important of these was the development of terraces, which allowed farmers to take advantage of steep terrain for irrigation and to create small gardens on flat areas.

These techniques were further developed during the Sui Dynasty (581-618). The Sui rulers constructed a series of systems to control and distribute water, allowing the Chinese farmers to control the delivery of water to individual fields, thus improving irrigation efficiency. Switching to irrigation systems allowed the Chinese farmers to further optimize their crop yields, as water could be delivered intermittently and adjusted according to the needs of the specific crop.

In addition to utilizing needs-based irrigation systems, the Chinese farmers also created more efficient methods for growing crops. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Chinese began to experiment with grafting and cross-breeding, enabling them to hybridize different varieties of crops and increase their yields. They also discovered the use of nitrogen-fixing flowers, which allowed them to use plants to enrich the soil, reducing the need for artificial fertilizers.

Conclusions

From the terraces of the Xia Dynasty to the use of artificial fertilizers in the Tang Dynasty, the Chinese have proven that they are masters in the art of agriculture. It is through the study of their ancient practices and techniques that modern researchers and farmers have been able to make large leaps in food production, reducing the impact of climate change and improving the efficiency and yields of many crops.