Gyeonggi-do, Celebration Circular Farming Pilot Project 'Results'... No Significant Difference from Conventional Farming Methods

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] It has been found that the quality of rice produced using livestock manure compost in the Livestock-Crop Circular Agriculture pilot complex shows no significant difference in yield or quality compared to rice produced through conventional farming methods.

Livestock-Crop Circular Agriculture is a farming method that uses livestock manure to grow crops and recycles crop by-products such as rice straw as feed for livestock.

It is gaining attention as a sustainable agriculture practice because it can turn livestock manure, which is often considered an environmental pollutant, into well-matured compost.

The Gyeonggi-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services cultivated Gyeonggi rice varieties such as Chucheong, Cham Dream, Jinok, and Gyeonggi No.14 through Livestock-Crop Circular Agriculture in the first half of this year at locations including Majang-myeon in Icheon City, Yangpyeong-eup in Yangpyeong County, Cheongbuk-eup in Pyeongtaek City (two sites), and Godeok-myeon in Pyeongtaek City (Seed Management Office). As a result, Cham Dream showed a perfect grain (first-grade rice) yield of 525 to 553 kg per 10 ares, which is 2 to 7% higher than the average of 516 kg from on-site verification of Cham Dream farms from 2017 to 2020. The protein content was also excellent at 5.5 to 5.6%, compared to the average of 5.8%. Other characteristics indicating rice quality, such as brown rice thousand-grain weight (weight of 1,000 fully matured grains) and amylose content, showed no significant difference compared to conventional farming. Other varieties also did not show meaningful differences when compared to conventional farming.

The province plans to encourage more farmers to participate in Livestock-Crop Circular Agriculture by providing free transportation, spreading, and tillage of fully decomposed and matured livestock compost on grouped rice paddies, as well as supporting part of the production costs (around 300,000 KRW per hectare).

An official from the province stated, "Soil testing (fertilizer prescription) and the application of an appropriate amount of matured compost (fertilizer made by piling and decomposing straw, weeds, fallen leaves, etc.) are key technologies that guarantee the success of Livestock-Crop Circular Agriculture." He added, "Based on photos and surveys taken during key growth stages of rice in the pilot complex, we plan to produce audiovisual materials to be used in agricultural education in cities and counties."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.