Nor were there major problems with weed control. In fact, the farmers' current practices including AWD were shown to be highly productive, and higher inputs of water and nitrogen did not necessarily raise yields. An important finding was that mid-season drainage of the paddies, which is commonly practised in the area when there is good rainfall, is not necessary for high production. This in itself can lead to reduced use of irrigation water. Clearly water savings can be made by allowing the soil to dry out under controlled conditions in this part of China.
Farmers can reduce their costs by using less irrigation water.
In practice farmers at Zhanghe do not follow ideal irrigation and drainage techniques they capture as much rainfall as possible, but will allow their paddies to dry out in the middle of the season. It is not yet known how widely applicable these results are outside of eastern central China. There may be some areas, for example with lighter textured soils or low phosphorus status, where AWD is deleterious to rice yields. An examination of water-saving practices was also interesting when considered on a larger scale. It was found that the irrigation system was more complex than originally thought.