Scientists seek smarter farm yields

Clever farming techniques would provide China with more than enough grain to feed its escalating population in the coming decades while easing stress on its environment, scientists reported on Wednesday.

China's population is expected to rise to 1.47 billion in 2030, which will require more than 650 million metric tons of rice, wheat and corn annually, they said.

Writing in the journal Nature, a team led by Zhang Fusuo at the China Agricultural University in Beijing reported on a three-year experiment on how to improve yields on existing land.