Abstract: The rapid growth of population and the increasing demands for food and fiber while facing the shortage supply of water and land reduction have forced people to pay attention to the dryland agriculture, i.e. a kind of agriculture being conducted in the dry subhumid and semiarid areas without irrigation. Drylands have large areas that can be used for agriculture and the precipitation has a certain potential for agricultural production. However, a shortage of water supply and serious wind and water erosion seriously limit agricultural development. A full use of natural precipitation is the basis for agricultural development, including summer fallow, water harvesting, mulching and national fertilization to raise water use efficiency.

Key words: dryland agriculture, water shortage, erosion