![]() Growing ducks and rice together in irrigated paddy fields was documented in China some 600 years ago, and Chinese farmers practiced it for centuries until they were lured away by quick fixes like synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and chemical pesticides. This technique-known as integrated rice-duck farming-is not entirely new. With ducks tearing up weeds, preying on pests and leaving their manure behind as organic plant food, rice growers like Tang can eliminate the need for artificial fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Tang’s ducks carry a special mission-They guard crops from insect attacks and are responsible for weeding. “In the past, I didn’t care where my ducks would be But now I want to make sure they all go to my rice paddies,” the 60-year-old says, while leading the ducks to the right track with a bamboo stick. Rain or shine, Tang has followed this routine for three years. The destination? Rice paddies several kilometers away. ![]() They walk in pouring rain, cross bridges and streams, and slip on muddy roads for nearly 20 minutes. At 6 o’clock in a recent summer morning, Tang Zhengqing is already on his way out, with seven ducks waddling in front of him. ![]()
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