Desert rice

Yuan Longping working in the field. [Photo/gmw.cn]

Qingdao's saline-alkali tolerant rice research and development center, which is led by Yuan Longping, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has made achievements experimentally planting rice in the tropical desert in Dubai, and the highest yield per mu (0.06 hectares) exceeded 500 kilograms.

This is the first time that rice has been grown in a desert. It is a great contribution to enhancing the food self-sufficiency of desert areas, global food security and improving the ecological environment of desert regions.

According to Zhang Guodong, deputy director of the Qingdao saline-alkali tolerant rice research and development center, the research group was invited to experimentally plant rice in Dubai in January.

On May 26, a series of experts from India, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates reviewed the yield of the rice, one of the rice samples have achieved a more than 500 kilograms yield per mu, while the other two samples have achieved more than 400 kilograms yield per mu. It is an exciting and impressive result, according to an expert from India.

It indicates China's hybrid rice, in particular saline-alkali tolerant rice planting technology, is at a world leading level.