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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (3): 189-203.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024176

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The evolution of China’s maize seed industry, relevant industrial policies and implications for grassland agriculture development

You-he FAN(), Si-yu YUE, Zhi-biao NAN, Yu-bing FAN()   

  1. State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems,China Grassland Development Strategy Research Center,College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology,Lanzhou University,Lanzhou 730020,China
  • Received:2024-05-14 Revised:2024-06-05 Online:2025-03-20 Published:2025-01-02
  • Contact: Yu-bing FAN

Abstract:

Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most important grain crops and feed crops in China, and the development of the maize seed industry is important to stabilize maize yield, improve farmers’ incomes, and promote the development of livestock production and aquaculture in this country. Exploring the development history of the maize seed industry and relevant industry policies can provide insights for the optimal and efficient development of grassland agriculture. This study systematically reviews the No. 1 Central Documents and national agricultural policy documents from 1982 to 2023, and summarizes the development history of China’s maize seed industry, and of maize straw and silage maize forage utilization. Analysis of the progress in policy support, technological advancement, industrial scale, market demand and other topics is presented, and the report explores the supportive role of the maize industry in the development of grassland agriculture. The study found that: through the promotion of high-yield and high-quality maize varieties, the productivity of agriculture and animal rearing operations has been improved, providing more forage resources for animal production and promoting the coordinated and sustainable development of food security and grassland agriculture. Increased utilization of maize straw and silage maize forage has provided a vital complement to the feed supply for animal production and for the development of grassland agriculture, and has thus mitigated the negative impacts of increased animal numbers in the agro-ecological environment. National policies should focus on promoting the construction of forage bases, strengthening cross-regional grass-livestock coupling, and promoting grassland livestock production and grassland ecological recovery. Meanwhile, a collaborative development mechanism for forage and maize seed industry should be created to facilitate the co-revitalization of grass seed and maize seed industries, and to further realize the win-win outcomes of a high-quality agricultural ecology industry footprint, and higher economic benefit. In the future, the development of China’s maize seed industry should focus on promoting scientific and technological innovation, improving seed quality, protecting the ecological environment and promoting the sustainable use of resources, in order to realize the coordinated development of maize industry and grassland agriculture.

Key words: grassland agriculture, maize seed industry, sustainable development, policy evolution, No. 1 Central Document