Agriculture influences climate change, and vice versa. There should be a balance between the two. The vulnerability caused by climate change is connected with poverty. “Climate-Smart Agriculture” (‘CSA’) is a solution that can bring multiple benefits and solve sustainable living problems. Farmers’ role is critical in terms of reducing agricultural carbon emissions. They could learn sustainable agricultural land management method and conservative farming techniques in order to adapt to climate change improve the local ecological system and improve food safety. 

This textural knowledge is not necessarily effective to the farmers. They are lack of knowledge and opportunities of self development. Therefore, farmers’ clubs are established among farmers. They are based on community cooperation. Capacity building is conducted among the farmers. They are platforms for information communication and experience sharing. Trainings are also provided for the farmers to learn various types of knowledge and improve their skills.

Since January of 2015 when the project started until the end of September 2015 8 farmers’ clubs were established in Nuoji village and Xiaojie villages. 260 households were involved. Xincun (37 households) of Nuoji village, Nuoji (59 households), Huilongtan (18 households), Changjiaba of Xiaojie village (39 households), Jinfa (29 households), Anafa (22 households), Enge (35 households) and Ajitang (21 households). The following three methods are used by Farmers’ Clubs:
1. Increasing knowledge: provide training in agricultural skills, do demonstration plots and extension work.
2. Experience sharing through Farmers’ Clubs and establishment of cooperatives
3. Funds support: provide small amount of funds and subsidies for pass-on schemes

Conservation farming: broad bean planting plan and its implementation:

On September 9, FC Xundian HPP PMO held a discussion meeting at Agricultural Scientific Station of Hekou Town, Xundian County about the early spring planting of this year. The meeting was facilitated by Xundian Scientific and Industrial Information Bureau. Participants included government, Agricultural Scientific Station and Animal Husbandry Station of Hekou Town, Plant Protecting Station of Yundian and Xundian PMO staff. The HPP Farming instructors participated in this meeting. Planting varieties for early spring planting of this year and the way of supporting were discussed. Leguminous plants broad bean and smooth vetch which are good for making the land fertile and do not need lots of chemical fertilizer were confirmed as the plants for this year. The project will actively encourage farmers to make the smooth vetch as green manure and return to the soil so as to produce the best possible results. Broad bean issues were also discussed. Great northern beans from Eshan was selected as the first choice to be planted. They will be planted in Changjiaba and Jinfa of Xiaojie village, and 3 villagers’ groups in Huilongtan of Nuoji village.  

After confirming what to plant, PMO held an education and mobilization meeting for farmers’ clubs of Xiaojie village and Nuoji village. Trainings of planting techniques were also provided. 

Broad bean can be used as food, vegetable, feed and green manure. It can be planted in most provinces of China. PMO successfully mobilized 62 households of Changjiaba of Xiaojie Village, Jinfa village and three villagers’ groups in Huilongtan of Nuoji village. The project provides high quality broad beans for free. From the training, the villagers learned that planting broad beans did not need ploughing, and it was tillage free. It meets the requirement of agricultural conservation farming. Also the Rhizobium of broad beans has the capacity of fixing nitrogen, which helps to reduce application of chemical nitrogen fertilizer. It is very helpful to protect soil and the environment. Now the planting area is 107.2 mu.  

On October 14, the project sent the broad bean seeds to the village which would plant them and distributed 3300 kg seeds to the 62 participating households. Meanwhile, PMO invited Mr. Ma, head of Agricultural Scientific Station of Hekou Town, Xundian County to provide training about planting broad beans, so as to improve farmers’ technical skills of planting broad beans, and increase benefit of planting broad beans. Its technical key points are:

1. Ploughing the field and making furrow: Ploughing according to the water level of the field. The ploughing is 2.5-3.5 meters wide. Depth of furrow is 18-20 cm and its width is 30 cm.
2. Proper condensed planting: row distance is 30-33 cm and distance between plants is 15-18 Cm.
3. Proper application of fertilizer: mainly green manure plus proper amount of Phosphorus Potassium. 1000-1500 kg green manure and 30-35 kgb superphosphate (as base fertilizer) are applied for each mu. During the stage of full bloom, 2-3 kg mono-potassium phosphate mixing with water is sprayed to the field per mu.
4. Proper watering: from squaring period to full bloom and pod bearing period, water the field when it is dry day.
5. Prevention and treatment of plant diseases and insect pests: preventing rust disease, red spot disease and aphis.

In September, the project provided 9 training sessions, with 210 attendances in total. PMO organized 6 sessions and 133 villagers were involved. The Farming instructors provided 3 training sessions, and 77 villagers were involved. 422 households were visited. 3 committee meetings of the farmers’ clubs were held. Through the training, farmers’ awareness was changed. They had new understanding on their role in the environment and the land they faced every day. They got  aware of their responsibility of protecting environment.


Distributingbroad beans          


Distributing broad beans 


Mr. Ma, head of Agricultural Scientific Stationof Hekou Town providing training about broad bean planting      


Mr. Ma (first from left) providing training

This project is supported by Blue Moon Fund