Journal of Horticulture
Open Access

Abstract

Fast-growing desert protected horticulture around Taklimakan desert: current status and technological challenges for sustainable development

Wenke Liu*

With the rapid development of continuous population growth, urbanization and industrialization, increasing pressure for oasis agriculture aggravated around some deserts (e.g. Taklimakan desert etc.) in Xinjiang province and inner Mongolia provinces of China. Nowadays, agricultural land resource has become limited seriously and agroenvironment tends to be fragile and adverse for oasis agriculture. In recent years, scaled Desert Protected Horticulture (DPH) in some cities located in Xinjiang has fast developed successfully in the suburbs of five prefecture-level cities and more than thirty county-level cities around Taklimakan desert on land obtained through desert reclamation, which provided substantial economic output and labor employment for local residents. Nowadays, many ecoenvironmental problems, such as nutrient leaching (e.g. nitrate and phosphate etc.) and water loss in desert sandy soil under conventional agronomic management like plain area of North China will occur more strongly, which results in seriously environmental pollution and resources waste. Thus, DPH around Taklimakan desert overcome harsh desert soil and climatic conditions and performed increased energy, water and nutrient use efficiencies with aids of modern agricultural technologies to potentially realize sustainable development characterized with high productivity, clean and environmentally-friendly production. In China, some novel soilless cultivation methods had been developed. Currently, higher use efficiencies of agro-resources (land, water, nutrients and labor, as well as light and heat resources) without environmental pollution are more urgent issues for DPH sustainable development. In this paper, current status, benefits, favorable and adverse factors, technological problems and coping strategies for DPH development were collected, also differences and similarities of DPH, Gobi protected horticulture and conventional protected horticulture were compared, highlighting the technology strategies for DPH sustainable development around Taklimakan desert. Finally, DPH, as a feasible and successful agriculture pattern, can be used in many countries worldwide where with similar eco-environment and social developmental problems.

Published Date: 2025-03-11; Received Date: 2024-03-07