by
Wang Liang, Economics and Management College, Hainan University, Haikou,
PR China
Hainan University team with Professor Zhu Zenrong (extreme left). From left to right, Wang Liang, Xie and Ma
The Hainan University team of the Hainanproject on conservation of arthropod biodiversity and ecosystem services visited the ecological engineering site in Jinhua. We, Wang Liang, Ma and Xie, attended the workshop and spent a day in the demo site exploring the ecological modifications done to conserve ecosystem services. The site, started 2 years ago by Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ZAAS), Zhejiang University (ZJU), Plant Protection Services of Jinhua, the local government of Jinhua and IRRI, held a national field day to communicate their findings (Read: E.E. in Jinhua gets national attention). The modified fields with sesame, various species of plants and flowers grown on the bunds attracted bees and parasitoids that can protect the rice crop from invading planthoppers and had reduced the need for insecticide use (Read: Rice fields with sesame grown on the bunds). The full details of the model farm was illustrated in a billboard in the site.
Billboard with details of the Jinhua ecological engineering site.
We found the visit to Jinhua extremely educational, especially the opportunities to interact with scientists from Zhejiang University and professor Geoff Gurr of Charles Sturt University, Australia,, who is a pioneer of ecological engineering methods.
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