Seawater rice test yield holds promise for harsh lands

The rice output from the experimental rice field indicated that the saline-alkali land can be transformed into good rice fields in three to five years, said Wang Qi, an expert with Yuan Longping's research team.

The trial plot to grow the seawater rice is of a heavy saline alkali nature, with salinity coming to more than 17 per 1,000 parts and the pH value reaching over 8.0, but the seawater rice has the effect of improving the soil and reducing the saline-alkali content, Wang said.