Using straw turns saline soil into fertile agricultural land

Chinese scientists have invented a method to turn saline soil into fertile agricultural land as Beijing promotes food security.

China ranks third among the countries with the most alkaline soils, but about a third of them have the potential to be used with better technology and farming methods.

Chinese scientist turns saline soil into fertile agricultural land. (Photo: SCMP).

In a large wasteland in the ancient village of Wuyuan, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (China), scientist Li Du Yi and his colleagues have found a way to turn saline lands into fertile agricultural fields. fat , and increase crop yields by nearly 1/3.

Typically, alkaline soil contains too much salt, also known as salinity, making farming difficult. The process of alkaline soil formation can occur naturally, or due to human activities, typically wastewater management.

Farmers in Wuyuan often have to water their fields with water from the Yellow River throughout the year, to release the amount of salt in the soil. However, the arid climate here causes the soil to always accumulate a thick layer of salt, and it is difficult to improve.

Li Du Yi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Agriculture, has come up with an innovative solution to solve the problem of poor soil quality.

He took straw fibers 5-15cm long and spread them flat on the ground at a depth of about 30-40cm. Straw fibers have the property of blocking salt, preventing them from floating to the surface. Besides, he also covered the soil with a layer of plastic to keep the soil moist.

After this treatment, salt content in the soil decreased by an average of 36% and crop yields increased by 30.5% , according to a report from Science and Technology Daily .

To come up with this method, scientist Ly Du Nghi and his team spent more than a decade researching alkaline soil treatment in different regions of China. They also discovered land restoration methods to suit different local conditions.

Unsustainable agricultural practices and overexploitation of natural resources by humans make the land a victim. (Photo: Getty).

China currently ranks third among countries in alkaline land area, with about 100 million hectares. Of these, about one-third still have the potential to apply soil therapies or enhanced farming methods.

Chinese President Xi Jinping mentioned this issue in his speech in July 2023. Mr. Xi said: "China possesses many alkaline soils, and the trend of agricultural land alkalinization is getting worse in some areas. Applying science to improve alkaline soils into soils that can be used in agriculture karma is extremely important."

Mr. Xi also described agricultural land as the "lifeblood" of China, and called for increased investment in "high quality" agricultural land.

Ma Wei, a scientist at the Academy of Agriculture, said more and more countries are taking action and pioneering measures to develop and manage alkaline soils. Mr. Vi noted that China currently has more than 40 methods or technologies to treat alkaline soil , thus being in the group of leading countries in this technology.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), more than 833 million hectares of land around the world have been affected by salinity. This area is equivalent to 4 times the entire territory of India, and covers about 9% of the Earth's surface.

Regarding the cause of increasing soil salinity, FAO said: "unsustainable agricultural practices and overexploitation of natural resources by humans are the main factors".

In addition, the growing global population is also causing increasing pressure on land, causing the rate of land degradation to become alarming worldwide.