World Food Day: Transforming Salt-Rich Soils into Fertile Lands in China
World Food Day: Transforming salt-affected soils into fertile lands in China
TroibNews 
"The soils are transformed and the yield is raised," stated Yang Jingsong, a researcher at the Institute of Soil Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
After a year dedicated to soil remediation, Yang assessed the pH levels of the altered saline-alkali soils and weighed the rice harvested from an experimental field located in Zhaoyuan County, Heilongjiang Province, in northeast China.
The findings were remarkable. The yields for rice varieties 'Dongdao 122' and 'Tongze 861' exceeded 400 kilograms per mu, while an unmodified plot produced only 3.02 kilograms per mu.
To enhance the soil quality, various techniques have been employed since September 2023, including the use of phosphogypsum and microbial fertilizers.
What is the yield difference of rice per mu between saline-alkali land and normal land?
The rice-growing area of Wuchang City is considered the prime region for cultivating high-quality rice in Heilongjiang. The well-known variety "Daohuaxiang" has a yield of approximately 500 kilograms per mu this year, according to the Economic Information Daily.
Soil salinization and alkalinization pose significant challenges to agriculture on a global scale. The physical and chemical properties of such soils can severely hinder crop growth and may even result in crop failure, thereby dramatically impacting yields.
China ranks as the third most affected country in the world by saline-alkali soils, containing about 1.5 billion mu of such land, with roughly 550 million mu deemed suitable for use.
Ai Zhiyong, deputy director of the National Center of Technology Innovation for Saline-alkali Tolerant Rice, noted that this land represents a potential resource for enhancing the nation's food security.
Healthy soils form the foundation of healthy food production.
For years, China has been vigilant in promoting the comprehensive treatment and utilization of saline-alkali land. By leveraging science and technology to rectify the soil and develop innovative crop varieties, this previously challenging land is evolving into a "new granary" for the country.
The nation has introduced over 40 applicable technologies across eight significant systems, encompassing salt removal and microbial methods for soil desalination. Additionally, over 50 varieties of salt-tolerant crops have been promoted.
In Jilin's Zhenlai County, researchers from the provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences successfully modified the saline-alkali soil in a demonstration field using innovative agents such as citric acid and pH decreasers. By employing the new variety "Jigeng 129," the harvested rice totaled 548.6 kilograms.
"It is extremely challenging to complete the construction and improve planting of 10,000 mu of land in such heavily saline-alkali soil within a short period of time, and to achieve a yield of over 400 kilograms per mu in the first year. However, our scheme achieved a yield of 548 kilograms per mu, which is a remarkable achievement," remarked Hou Ligang, director of the Rice Research Institute at the Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
After a year dedicated to soil remediation, Yang assessed the pH levels of the altered saline-alkali soils and weighed the rice harvested from an experimental field located in Zhaoyuan County, Heilongjiang Province, in northeast China.
The findings were remarkable. The yields for rice varieties 'Dongdao 122' and 'Tongze 861' exceeded 400 kilograms per mu, while an unmodified plot produced only 3.02 kilograms per mu.
To enhance the soil quality, various techniques have been employed since September 2023, including the use of phosphogypsum and microbial fertilizers.
What is the yield difference of rice per mu between saline-alkali land and normal land?
The rice-growing area of Wuchang City is considered the prime region for cultivating high-quality rice in Heilongjiang. The well-known variety "Daohuaxiang" has a yield of approximately 500 kilograms per mu this year, according to the Economic Information Daily.
Soil salinization and alkalinization pose significant challenges to agriculture on a global scale. The physical and chemical properties of such soils can severely hinder crop growth and may even result in crop failure, thereby dramatically impacting yields.
China ranks as the third most affected country in the world by saline-alkali soils, containing about 1.5 billion mu of such land, with roughly 550 million mu deemed suitable for use.
Ai Zhiyong, deputy director of the National Center of Technology Innovation for Saline-alkali Tolerant Rice, noted that this land represents a potential resource for enhancing the nation's food security.
Healthy soils form the foundation of healthy food production.
For years, China has been vigilant in promoting the comprehensive treatment and utilization of saline-alkali land. By leveraging science and technology to rectify the soil and develop innovative crop varieties, this previously challenging land is evolving into a "new granary" for the country.
The nation has introduced over 40 applicable technologies across eight significant systems, encompassing salt removal and microbial methods for soil desalination. Additionally, over 50 varieties of salt-tolerant crops have been promoted.
In Jilin's Zhenlai County, researchers from the provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences successfully modified the saline-alkali soil in a demonstration field using innovative agents such as citric acid and pH decreasers. By employing the new variety "Jigeng 129," the harvested rice totaled 548.6 kilograms.
"It is extremely challenging to complete the construction and improve planting of 10,000 mu of land in such heavily saline-alkali soil within a short period of time, and to achieve a yield of over 400 kilograms per mu in the first year. However, our scheme achieved a yield of 548 kilograms per mu, which is a remarkable achievement," remarked Hou Ligang, director of the Rice Research Institute at the Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
