China has now harvested wheat from a 400-hectare plot in the Taklimakan Desert, successfully transforming arid regions into fertile agricultural land.
This project, now considered as China's largest pure-desert wheat field, is located in Makit County, Kashgar Prefecture, within the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (via South China Morning Post).
This aerial photo taken on June 2, 2023 shows farmers harvesting wheat in a field in Huaian, in China's eastern Jiangsu province. Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images
Improving Food Security, China Turns Desert Into Wheat Crop Plantation
The initiative is part of China's broader push for food security amid volatile global markets, climate change impacts, and geopolitical challenges.
Growing wheat in a desert environment presented unique challenges, such as low soil organic matter, high evaporation rates, and poor water and fertilizer retention. To overcome these obstacles, the Xinjiang Wuzheng Green Agriculture Development Company employed several innovative methods.
These included increasing the application of organic matter and soil conditioners and using "fertigation" technology, which combines fertilization with irrigation to enhance nutrient absorption by the crops.
The organization also used precise, quantitative, and high-frequency irrigation methods to deliver the necessary nutrients and water directly to the wheat roots.
This approach was managed through a mobile app, ensuring efficient use of resources. Satellite positioning and remote sensing technology were employed for precise crop planting, fertilization, and pest control management.
In support of this initiative, Xinjiang has invested 30 million yuan (US$4.1 million).
China Successfully Harvests Wheat from Desert Region
The project has exceeded initial expectations. "This batch of wheat weighs 825 grams per liter, meeting the standard for first-class wheat of the wheat yield measurement, and the yield exceeds 260kg per mu," said Wang Jianjun, deputy manager of Xinjiang Wuzheng Green Agriculture Development Company. This yield translates to an average of 294 kilograms per mu, showcasing the project's success.
This project is not only about increasing food production but also about addressing environmental and economic challenges. Xinjiang has significant areas of desertified land, which affects over 400 million people in China.
Transforming these arid regions into productive farmland helps combat desertification, improve the ecological environment, and boost regional economic income - highlighting the potential for sustainable agricultural development in desert regions.
The team aims to expand the desert wheat planting area to over 50,000 mu within five years and plant wheat on more than 3,333 hectares of desert land in the next three to five years, enhancing the quality and efficiency of the region's agriculture.
China's focus on food security has led to several innovative agricultural projects in recent years. In 2018, scientists successfully harvested 7,100 mu of drought-resistant upland rice in the Gobi Desert.
More recently, a research team from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences trial-planted and rapidly cultivated rice in a desert greenhouse in Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang.
China's grain sown area expanded slightly to 118,969 thousand hectares in 2023, a 0.5% increase from the previous year. This breakthrough is expected to improve the country's agricultural productivity in the future.
