Black soil protection, tech boost ecology, production in NE China's Jilin

(chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: July 27, 2021

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Black soil specimen are on display in Northeast China's Jilin province.[Photo by Fu Rui/chinadaily.com.cn]

An event named "Defend the Black Soil " hosted by China Jilin Network Information Office held a launch ceremony in Lishu county, Siping city, Northeast China's Jilin province on July 20.

Black soil, which is also known as black earth or black land, is a fertile soil  mainly seen in Northeast China. People describe the fertility of this land as "where even a chopstick sprouts". However, due to long-term over-exploitation and utilization, climate change and other factors, the soil's organic matter in the cultivated layer has decreased by one-third to one-half in the last 60 years.

The launch ceremony showed the measures and achievements of implementing black land protection in Jilin province through songs and dances, Er Ren Zhuan (a song-and-dance duet popular in the Northeast of China) and video clips with local characteristics. Shi Yugang, a member of the Standing Committee of Jilin provincial Party committee and minister of publicity, said in his speech that the purpose of holding this network theme activity is to effectively protect and make good use of black earth and resolutely shoulder the important task of maintaining national food security.

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The root system of corn in black soil (right) is much longer than in normal soil.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In 2007, a new technology suitable for black land came into being in Lishu county, protective tillage technology. Straw covers the surface, tillage is reduced to a minimum and soil disturbance is minimized to ensure ample soil support.

"After years of covering it with straw, the black soil has reached 50-60 cm, and the root system of corn can be planted to 200 cm," Yang Qingkui, director of the Kangda Agricultural Machinery Farmers' Professional Cooperative in Lishu county, said. And now an ordinary cooperative member has an annual income of at least 100,000 yuan.

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"Rice-crab symbiosis" is implemented in the field in Zhenlai county, Baicheng city, Northeast China's Jilin province.[Photo by Fu Rui/chinadaily.com.cn]

To protect the black land, Haoyu Modern Agriculture Co Ltd implemented the production mode of "rice-crab symbiosis" in Jilin's Zhenlai county in 2019.

"The ecological environment of the rice fields has been changed by breeding crabs," said Bian Zhonghe, manager of the Land Management Department of the Jilin Haoyu Modern Agriculture Co.

He said crabs can loosen the soil, weed, and fertilize. Meanwhile the rice also purifies the living environment for the crabs. Through this production mode, the crabs are fat and the rice is soft. After three consecutive years of raising crabs in paddy fields, the soil organic matter in the plough layer of 0-15cm almost doubled.

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The Intelligent monitoring system tells temperature, humidity, land temperature and other information that will affect crops in Northeast China's Jilin province.[Photo by Fu Rui/chinadaily.com.cn]

A good production mode is inseparable from the support of science and technology. In recent years, helicopters and drones have been used to spray pesticides and spray water, respectively. In addition, observing and controlling the growth of crops can be carried out through intelligent monitoring. On the monitoring screen, temperature, humidity, land temperature, aerial remote control and other functional coefficients are displayed. The progress of agricultural science and technology has reduced the labor force and other resources required for production, and has implemented scientific and technological cultivation in a more scientific and standardized manner.

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Drones controlled by an intelligent system spray water above a field.[Photo by Fu Rui/chinadaily.com.cn]

Today, the fertility of black soil in Jilin has been significantly improved, not only with traditional land conservation farming, but also with the support of modern science and technology and agricultural technology.

"In the future, the black land will be highly intelligent while having the original ecological natural environment," Bian said.

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Today, the fertility of black soil in Jilin has been significantly improved, not only with traditional land conservation farming, but also with the support of modern science and technology and agricultural technology.[Photo by Fu Rui/chinadaily.com.cn]

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