Table 5.

Average economic output and input costs for maize production during 2013–2014 at the Dryland Agricultural Research Station, Pengyang County, China.

Treatments	LC	MC	MCC	SFC	IV	OV	O/I	NI	NID
FCM	2700	1800	1500	3135	9135	20264	2.22	11129	1558.6
FLM	2700	720	1500	3135	8055	18153	2.25	10098	527.5
FLSM	3600	2160	1500	3135	10395	20316	1.95	9921	350
PM	3600	720	1500	3135	8955	17988	2.01	9033	-538
CK	1800	0	1500	3135	6435	16006	2.49	9571	0

CK, the control, conventional flat planting without plastic film mulch; PM, flat planting with maize rows (60 cm spacing) on plastic film mulch (70 cm wide); FCM, furrow planting of maize (60 cm spacing), separated by consecutive plastic film-mulched ridges (each 50 cm wide and 15 cm tall); FLSM, furrow planting of maize (60 cm spacing), separated by alternating large and small plastic film-mulched ridges (large ridges: 70 cm wide and 15 cm tall, small ridges 50 cm wide and 10 cm tall); FLM: furrow-flat planting of maize (60 cm spacing) with a large plastic film-mulched ridge (60 cm wide and 15 cm tall) alternating with a flat plastic film-mulched space (60 cm wide). LC, labor costs [Chinese yuan (CNY) ha⁻¹]; MC, film mulching costs (CNY ha⁻¹); MCC, machine-cultivation costs (CNY ha⁻¹); SFC, seed and fertilizer costs (CNY ha⁻¹); IV, input value (CNY ha⁻¹); OV, output value (CNY ha⁻¹); O/I, output/input; NI, net income (CNY ha⁻¹); NID, net income difference (CNY ha⁻¹) compared with CK. Labor cost = 80 CNY per person per day; plastic film cost = 12 CNY kg⁻¹; maize seed price = 1.20 CNY kg⁻¹; maize straw price = 0.1 CNY kg⁻¹.