Rice Genomics and Genetics 2025, Vol.16, No.5, 267-281 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/rgg 275 of pollution-free and green food. After market promotion, "Xingqing" brand duck rice is widely popular for its fragrant and sticky taste and safe quality. The price is about 15% higher than ordinary rice. In the breeding stage, the paddy ducks on the farm are not fed with compound feed. They are only fed with rice grains and broken rice in the evening. The ducks mainly grow by foraging in the fields. On average, 45 paddy ducks can be harvested per mu of paddy field. Because ducks grow in a natural environment and exercise a lot, their duck meat has a unique flavor and a high lean meat rate. They are recognized by the market as high-quality native ducks, and the price is about 30% higher than that of ordinary farmed ducks. The farm has realized the business model of "rice-duck symbiosis, rice-duck double excellence". One season of rice production can obtain both rice and meat duck income, which greatly increases the income per unit of land. It is reported that Xingqing Family Farm has successfully embarked on a path of ecological agricultural income generation through the development of rice-duck co-cultivation and rice deep processing, with an annual output value of more than 5 million yuan. While achieving economic benefits, the ecological benefits of the farm are also very significant. Since no pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used, the soil and water quality of the farm area remain good; the fields are rich in biodiversity, with frogs croaking and birds flying, creating an ecologically harmonious scene. The success of the rice-duck co-breeding model on the farm is due to several factors: first, the operator is far-sighted, adheres to the concept of ecological planting, and pays attention to product quality and brand building; second, it introduces scientific research cooperation, and has long-term on-site guidance from experts from Zhejiang University and the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences to carry out experiments such as variety selection and fertility improvement, and continuously optimizes breeding techniques; third, it timely promotes mechanization and digital management, purchases rice transplanters, harvesters, plant protection drones, etc., which improves operating efficiency and makes up for the lack of manpower. The case of Xingqing Family Farm shows that as long as rice-duck co-breeding is scientifically managed and operated on a large scale, it can also obtain considerable economic returns and achieve the unity of ecological and social benefits. 5.2 Integration of saffron + rice-duck system: economic and ecological impact Based on the practice of rice-duck co-breeding, some farmers and enterprises have also explored combining it with other high-efficiency economic crops to further improve land utilization and economic benefits. Deqing Xingqing Family Farm has been experimenting with a "saffron + rice-duck" fusion model since 2024, and has achieved remarkable results. Saffron (Crocus sativus) is a precious Chinese medicinal material and spice. Its style (i.e. saffron) is extremely valuable, but its planting season is staggered with rice, which can be complementary to rice-duck co-cultivation rotation. The specific approach is: plant saffron bulbs on the high ridges of the rice field immediately after the rice is harvested, and use the idle fields in winter and spring for saffron production; in early summer, plant rice and raise ducks to achieve "two harvests a year". The paddy field soil is fertilized with duck manure from the previous crop, providing rich nutrients for the growth of saffron, and the saffron residues after harvest can be returned to the field as organic matter for absorption by rice next year, which can be said to complement each other. Under this fusion model, the annual output of dried saffron per mu of land is about 0.5 kg. Together with the income from duck rice and paddy ducks, the average economic benefit per mu exceeds 20 000 yuan, which is far higher than the income from single rice planting. This shows that integrating high-value cash crops into the rice-duck co-cultivation system can greatly increase land output and farmers' income. At the same time, the saffron + rice-duck model continues to maintain the characteristics of ecological farming, without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers throughout the process. The saffron produced is of pure quality, and the duck rice and duck meat are green and safe, which has a unique selling point in the market. The successful exploration of this model shows the great potential of "hybridization" of rice-duck co-cultivation with other agricultural models. In addition to saffron, other regions have also tried to combine rice-duck co-cultivation with aquaculture. For example, some places in Jiangsu raise aquatic animals such as loaches and shrimps in the ditches of rice-duck fields to achieve "three-habitat co-cultivation", and the economic benefits are also considerable. Ji et al. (2021) reported that the implementation of rice-duck integrated farming for many years has helped to continuously improve the fertility of rice field soil and reduce the cycle of pests and diseases,
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