Demonstration area aims to boost crop yields on saline-alkaline soils

The greater use of previously nonproductive land will help raise production levels and ensure the nation’s food security. Zhao Yimeng reports from Dongying, Shandong.

Demonstration area aims to boost crop yields on saline-alkaline soils , The greater use of previously nonproductive land will help raise production levels and ensure the nation’s food security. Zhao Yimeng reports from Dongying, Shandong. ,In mid-July, soybean and corn that had been planted together were growing well on farmland at a demonstration area in Dongying, Shandong province. Meanwhile, a large number of freshly harvested potatoes were spread out on the porous, fast-draining soil. Those results were not easy to achieve because 80 percent of the soil in the Agricultural High-tech Industry Demonstration Area of the Yellow River Delta in Dongying has high levels of salinity and alkalinity as a result of coastal erosion and high saltwater saturation. Those conditions inhibit crop growth and result in lower plant biomass.

Source: This news is originally published by Chinadaily