George George Idowu
China, responsible for feeding around 20% of the world’s population with just 10% of its arable land, is taking bold steps to enhance food security through innovative agricultural practices.
Thus, a significant breakthrough has been made in the effort to reclaim saline-alkaline soil, which covers approximately 247 million acres across the country.
These saline-alkaline lands are notoriously difficult to cultivate due to their high salt content, but new methods developed by Chinese scientists offer hope for maximising crop yields.
Saline-alkaline soil, found in vast regions of China, presents significant challenges for farmers. The high concentration of salts in this soil type inhibits healthy crop growth. Areas like Wuyuan County are particularly affected, as local farmers rely on water from the Yellow River for irrigation, which can exacerbate the salinity of the soil.
Climate change further compounds the issue. As extreme weather conditions become more frequent and severe, crop yields suffer.
Farmers now face the dual challenge of managing salinity and mitigating the impacts of increasingly erratic weather patterns. As China strives to feed its 1.5 billion people, every piece of land becomes crucial in securing food supplies and maintaining agricultural productivity.
Li Yuyi, a soil scientist at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and his team have developed a method to reclaim saline soil by reducing its salt content.
Their approach involves burying crop stalks 30 to 40 centimetres beneath the soil. This technique creates a physical barrier that prevents salt from rising to the surface, where it can harm crops.
Additionally, the team experimented with placing a layer of plastic on top of the soil, a practice generally discouraged due to its environmental impact but effective in retaining moisture in this case.
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According to a Science and Technology Daily report, this method has shown impressive results, reducing soil salinity by 36% and increasing crop yields by nearly a third. For Chinese farmers, this discovery could be transformative, offering them the ability to farm more land and improve their productivity in regions previously deemed unsuitable for agriculture.
China’s efforts to enhance soil quality are part of a more significant push to ensure food security. With a population of nearly 1.5 billion people, the country must maximise its agricultural output despite limited arable land and worsening climate conditions.
Since the 1950s, China has been launching large-scale initiatives to improve soil quality, and these recent breakthroughs are part of that ongoing effort.
Beyond the advancements in soil management, Chinese researchers are also improving the resilience of crops, particularly rice, a staple food for half of the global population.
Genetic engineering has led to developing rice plants that can be harvested mechanically, boosting yields and maintaining the high standards of purity required for international markets. These innovations are critical as erratic weather conditions continue affecting global rice production.
Chinese President Xi Jinping underscored the significance of these developments in a July 2023 speech, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming and improving saline lands. “Given that China has a lot of saline lands and the trend of salinisation of farmland is worsening in some areas, it is of great significance to carry out comprehensive improvement and utilisation,” President Xi said.
China’s commitment to reclaiming saline-alkaline land and improving crop resilience highlights the nation’s focus on long-term food security.
As the effects of climate change become more pronounced, these initiatives could prove crucial not only for China’s agricultural future but also for feeding a significant portion of the global population.
China’s innovative solutions for addressing saline-alkaline soil are a testament to its dedication to securing its food supply in the face of numerous challenges. By reducing soil salinity, improving crop yields, and advancing agricultural technology, China is setting a precedent for other nations grappling with similar issues.
With the world’s population continuing to grow and climate change posing increasing threats to agriculture, these developments in China could serve as a model for global efforts to enhance food security.
