Trials underway for saltwater rice strains

China has planted about 300 new strains of saltwater-tolerant rice on 670 hectares of experimental alkali fields in search of resilient, high-yield varieties that can grow on previously unproductive land.

Qualified varieties will then be promoted for commercial cultivation nationwide, covering about one-fifth of the 100 million hectares of saltwater soil that is believed to have potential for rice cultivation in the country, according to the Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Research and Development Center in Qingdao, Shandong province.

Facing the dual pressures of shrinking productive arable acreage and dwindling irrigation capacity, research into saltwater-resistant rice can help safeguard food security in China, said Zhang Guodong, deputy director of the center.