The water bamboo field in Zhenlai county, Jilin. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

Zhenlai, a county in Northeast China's Jilin province, is demonstrating how innovation can restore saline-alkali land while creating new opportunities for farmers.

After nine years of experimentation, Zhejiang farmer Ding Wei collaborated with Jilin Xielian Agricultural Technology Co to develop an integrated method combining water bamboo cultivation with soil conditioners made from citric acid byproducts. The model supports ecological restoration, industrial development, and higher rural incomes.

The breakthrough came when Ding's team discovered that water bamboo secretes more organic acids from its roots under greater saline-alkali stress. These acids help neutralize soil alkalinity. However, young seedlings struggle to survive in heavily saline-alkali fields, limiting large-scale cultivation.

To address this challenge, the company developed a specialized soil conditioner using citric acid production byproducts. Wastewater, crop straw, and cattle manure are recycled into biofertilizer, creating a circular system that turns agricultural and industrial waste into resources for land restoration.

The soil is treated before seedlings are transplanted, significantly improving growing conditions. On severely saline-alkali land with an initial pH of 10.3 to 10.5, soil pH can drop to around 9.0 after one year.

The company has also developed multiple saline-alkali soil improvement products and established three organic fertilizer production lines, further advancing sustainable agriculture and circular development.