Breakthrough made in peanut planting on Qinghai plateau

XINING - Chinese scientists have successfully grown peanuts in Northwest China's high-altitude Qinghai province for the first time, local authorities said.

In a demonstrative project hosted by the Qinghai Academy of Agriculture and Foresty Sciences, researchers have been conducting trial planting of several crops including ginger and peanuts since March. Five peanut varieties were tested to pick out the best.

"The peanuts are growing well with few diseases and pests, which proves that peanut planting is possible in greenhouses on the Qinghai plateau," said Huang Pingui, deputy-director with husbandry and poverty relief and development bureau of Huangzhong County.

"The yield per plant is expected to be between 220 and 350 grams, making the peanut yield per mu (about 0.07 hectares) reach at least 500 kilograms," Huang added.

As a warm-weather plant, peanuts usually require a long, hot growing season and loose sandy soil to develop in.

The trial success of peanut planting marks a breakthrough in agriculture in the barren land of Qinghai province. It offers the farmers another option in greenhouse vegetable planting, and optimizes the structure of the vegetable industry in the region, the local official said.