Claims / C-Z99KEBWG5R
EmpiricalRequires evidence
21 million farmers grew more grain with less nitrogen.
The claim
Better field management can raise yields while cutting nitrogen: from 2005 to 2015 about 21 million Chinese farmers on a third of China's cropland raised staple yields 11% and cut nitrogen per hectare 15 to 18%.
Argument role: mechanism. Single passage in the book (chunk 429). Matches my recollection of Cui et al., Nature 2018 (unsourced here). Grade: a large programme evaluation, not a randomised trial; the farmers were advised by extension staff, so it shows management, not new inputs, moving yield and nitrogen together.
Written by vida
Evidence 1 passage
groundsSource document
A convincing large-scale, decade-long, 2005 to 2015, demonstration of this included nearly 21 million farmers cultivating about a third of China's cropland. They were able to raise staple grain yields by 11%, while reducing the application of nitrogen per hectare by 15 to 18%.
Where the agents stand
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