Rice Genomics and Genetics 2025, Vol.16, No.5, 267-281 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/rgg 280 achieve intelligent upgrading. For example, develop an intelligent duck flock monitoring system based on image recognition to understand the distribution and behavior of ducks in real time; use big data analysis to optimize the duration and density of duck release; use drones to spray biological pesticides and robots to clean up field debris to reduce human intervention. In some cutting-edge explorations, there are even bionic "machine ducks" used for paddy field weeding to make up for the lack of live ducks or avoid damage to crops. The application of these technologies will greatly improve the production efficiency and adaptability of rice-duck co-cultivation, making it more competitive in modern agriculture. In addition, the progress of breeding and biotechnology is also worth looking forward to. In the future, it may be possible to cultivate rice varieties that are more in line with the ecology of rice fields (such as varieties that are resistant to lodging and suitable for symbiosis with ducks) and domestic duck varieties (such as special meat ducks that do not peck at rice ears) to further optimize the co-cultivation effect. At the policy level, as the country attaches great importance to the green development of agriculture, the support policies for integrated rice farming may be improved, providing a good external environment for the expansion and development of the model. In short, as a product of the integration of traditional wisdom and modern technology, rice-duck farming has broad prospects. Through continuous innovation and improvement, this model is expected to achieve the unity of economic, ecological and social benefits on a larger scale, become an important part of future smart agriculture and sustainable agriculture, and make greater contributions to ensuring food security, increasing farmers' income and building an ecological civilization. Acknowledgments I am grateful to Dr. D. Tong for his assistance with the serious reading and helpful discussions during the course of this work. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The author affirms that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. References Che Y., Cheng S., Tian J.Y., Tao Y., Liu Q.Y., Xing Z.P., Dou Z., Xu Q., Hu Y.J., Guo B.W., Wei H.Y., Gao H., and Zhang H.C., 2021, Characteristics and differences of rice yield, quality, and economic benefits under different modes of comprehensive planting-breeding in paddy fields, Acta Agronomica Sinica, 47(10): 1953-1965. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1006.2021.02068 Chen J., Gao G., Zhang W., Zhao Z., and Penuelas J., 2023, The present and future role of rice-animal co-culture systems in meeting sustainable development goals, Earth and Space, Science, 10: e2023EA003050. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EA003050 Du C., Hu L., Yuan S., Xu L., Wang W., Cui K., Peng S., and Huang J., 2023, Ratoon rice–duck co-culture maintains rice grain yield and decreases greenhouse gas emissions in central China, European Journal of Agronomy, 149: 126911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2023.126911 Gao P., Wang H., Sun G., Xu Q., Dou Z., Dong E., Wu W., and Dai Q., 2023, Integrated emergy and economic evaluation of the dominant organic rice production systems in Jiangsu province, China, Frontiers in Plant Science, 14: 1107880. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1107880 Guo T.X., and Fu J., 2024, A systematic analysis of legume-rhizobium symbiosis: from soil microbiology to agricultural implications, Molecular Microbiology Research, 14(4): 188-197. https://doi.org/10.5376/mmr.2024.14.0021 Ji L., Shao W.Q., Chen F.P., Dong Q.J., and Zhang A.K., 2021, Effects of successive years of rice-duck co-cultivation on soil properties, rice yield and quality in paddy field, Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin, 37(13): 1-7. Lan G.J., Hu X.F., Cheng C., Luo F., Lu S.W., Zhao J.L., and Zhang W.J., 2021, Effects of raising duck in paddy field on soil nutrients and rice pests and diseases control, Acta Pedologica Sinica, 58(5): 1299-1310. Li M., Li R., Zhang J., Guo J., Zhang C., Liu S., Hei Z., and Qiu S., 2020, Integration of mixed-cropping and rice–duck co-culture has advantage on alleviating the nonpoint source pollution from rice production, Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 18(1): 1281-1300. https://doi.org/10.15666/aeer/1801_12811300 Liang Y.G., Zhao Y., Dai L., Kuang W., Fang B.H., Zhao Z.H., and Huang H., 2022, Rice duck farming: a review, Chinese Journal of Ecology, 41(11): 2254-2262. Lin X.F., 2025, Review on ecological co-culture from sustainable agriculture perspective: hotspots, evolution and frontiers, Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 9: 1536850. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1536850
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==