The vast territory of China is home to about 500 million acres of saline-alkali land, with over 100 million acres of this land classified as cultivated yet susceptible to soils with high salinity and alkalinityThese lands are predominantly found in the northwest inland regions, the midstream of the Yellow River, the Northeast Songnen Plain, and the coastal zonesThe northwest and northeastern areas are characterized by extensive, contiguous distribution of saline-alkali landA noteworthy success story in the management of such land comes from the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, where concerted efforts in land reclamation and improvement have transformed a once sprawling expanse of saline-alkali soil into productive farmland, effectively reducing the arable land affected by salinity from 50 million acres in the 1980s to a scattered few today.

Saline-alkali soils stand as potentially significant reservoirs for food production in China

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Addressing the challenges posed by these types of soil requires a strategic approach and must be prioritized in agricultural planningA focus on development and comprehensive utilization of saline-alkali land is crucialChinese agricultural practices must harness technology and science to spearhead innovation, enhance land reclamation techniques, and develop and promote crop varieties better suited for saline-alkali conditionsThe goal is not solely to expand crop sowing areas but also to actively develop industries that can leverage unique agricultural products arising from these saline-alkali lands.

Aligned with national strategic goals, there is a clear emphasis on developing specialized agriculture suited for saline-alkali landTo facilitate this, two key areas must be addressed: breeding appropriate crop varieties and effectively managing soil salinityThis calls for a balanced approach that underscores the importance of ecology alongside agricultural practices, as well as the need for immediate and long-term solutions

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Careful consideration must be given to scientific, water resource, financial, and institutional support to advance the comprehensive utilization of this landBy 2035, it is projected that about 15 million acres of arable land will be added through effective management of saline-alkali soils, while more than 100 million acres of currently affected land will undergo transformation to convert low-grade fields into higher-grade arable land, yielding significant increases in food production.

Historically, the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain pioneered an innovative multi-dimensional approach to managing saline-alkali soil through integrated irrigation and drainage systems, known as the “3D Salinity Management” modelOver two decades of persistent efforts yielded remarkable success, contributing hundreds of billions of pounds to annual grain production and laying a solid foundation for advanced and sophisticated water management technologies aimed at alleviating soil salinity.

In the face of resource scarcity and environmental challenges, an organic view of food production needs to be adopted

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This perspective advocates for an ecological approach to land use and necessitates the establishment of a diversified agricultural framework that capitalizes on the unique characteristics of various food sourcesThe pressing reality of diminishing water resources demands that ecological sustainability and green development remain at the forefront of agricultural initiatives, especially on expansive saline-alkali landLeveraging pioneer halophyte plants like Suaeda salsa, Haloxylon ammodendron, and Chenopodium album to improve soil ecology not only provides valuable resources but also promotes sustainable land use practices, ensuring that the gloss of China’s agricultural red line—18 billion acres of arable land—is maintained.

Progress in safeguarding seedlings from salt damage and controlling soil salinity has been significant in recent yearsInnovations in this field have led to the development of various functional materials aimed at addressing the challenges of soil compaction, salt return, and effective salinity management

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These include polymer-modified materials that improve soil aggregation, liquid film membranes developed for salt control, and novel biomass materials designed to suppress salt infiltrationThese advancements significantly boost salt-extraction efficiency by five to thirteen times, ushering in a new era in saline-alkali land management.

Moreover, the selection and breeding of resistant microbial varieties have shown great promiseThis work has produced long-acting soil improvement agents, targeted salt-regulating products, and biocompatible agents that enhance soil fertilityIn mild saline-alkali lands, new technologies for saline-alkali soil management have elevated soil quality from Grade 1 to Grade 2; while in moderate saline-alkali settings, technologies focused on reducing salt levels have improved soil quality from Grade 2 to Grade 3. In severe saline-alkali areas, management techniques have enabled new grading standards, applicable to land yielding between 100 to 200 kilograms per acre

These improvements have decisively enhanced the quality of saline-alkali land and contributed steadily to increases in food production.

China has also made significant strides in enhancing its crop breeding capabilities focused on salt and alkali resistanceA breakthrough discovery in the identification of the primary resistance gene, AT1, has revealed its homology to the rice grain morphology gene GS3. This genetic understanding, connecting salt tolerance mechanisms across key cereal crops such as rice, wheat, corn, and millet, opens avenues for successfully cultivating resilient varieties suitable for saline-alkali conditionsSo far, more than 30 new saline-alkali resistant crop varieties have been approved at the national levelRemarkably, the Jin Si You 98 fragrant rice variety has recorded yields of up to 327.2 kilograms per acre when grown in a saline concentration of 5‰.

In Hebei's Huanghua region, the drought-resistant wheat variety Jiemai 20 has seen remarkable yield increases from 50 kilograms to over 220 kilograms per acre

Additionally, the Qianliang 5 sorghum cultivated in the saline-alkali fields of Dongying, Shandong, has set a new record of 585.28 kilograms per acre, emerging as a high-efficiency crop in regions along the Yellow RiverThe development of a new sweet sorghum variety specifically tailored for forage has also demonstrated robust resistance to both salinity and drought while displaying desirable yield characteristicsField trials conducted across various regions, including Shandong, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Jilin, suggest yield increases exceeding 30%, positioning these varieties as pioneering options for transforming saline-alkali land into productive agricultural sites.

To ensure that all of these efforts culminate in effective saline-alkali land remediation, it is essential to cultivate and promote suitable salt-resistant varieties that match the soil conditions, establish methods to facilitate improved soil quality, and create efficient practices that allow for optimal land use success