A saline-alkaline field pictured in Da'an, Jilin province. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

On Oct 12, agricultural experts conducted a harvest yield test on a 16,000 mu (1,066.67 hectares) rice demonstration field in Da'an, Northeast China's Jilin province. The results showed that the field, part of a large-scale saline-alkaline land improvement project, had an average rice yield of 636.19 kilograms per mu, marking significant progress in soil improvement.

"This plot used an organic silicon functional fertilizer to improve the saline-alkaline soil. With an average yield exceeding 600 kilograms per mu, the results are very successful," said Wang Changzhi, deputy director of the Soil Improvement Research Department at the Baicheng Saline-Alkaline Soil Treatment Institute.

Located in western Jilin, Da'an sits in one of the world's largest concentrated saline-alkaline areas. The land has a pH value over 10 and a salt content between 4 percent and 6 percent, making it one of the most challenging soil types to reclaim. Traditional methods had limited success. However, after years of research, Da'an developed the "Da'an Model" that integrates water management, ecological improvement, and modern agricultural practices. This innovative approach has transformed severely degraded soil into fertile farmland, yielding substantial economic, social, and environmental benefits.