BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- In northwest China, the Taklamakan Desert, long known as the "Sea of Death," has for centuries made farming all but impossible with its sandstorms, drought and barren soil. This summer, however, an area on its very fringe is producing wheat at an impressive level.
Wang Yufeng, a native of Hebei, a major grain-producing province in northern China, invested more than 2 million yuan (around 294,000 U.S. dollars) last year to plant a hybrid wheat variety in Makit County, on the southwestern edge of the desert in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The county is surrounded by desert on three sides, and dunes once covered roughly 90 percent of its territory. Annual precipitation there is less than 100 millimeters, while evaporation exceeds 2,000 millimeters.
Such harsh conditions might seem hopeless for grain production, yet scientists worldwide are now finding ways to grow crops on sandy soils. With limited arable land and a growing global population, deserts, barren as they are, offer vast expanses. Countries including Israel, Egypt and the Gulf states have been actively pursuing desert agriculture, viewing arid lands as a potential reserve for future farmland.
Wang leased 93 hectares of saline-alkaline land near the desert and estimated a yield of over 976,000 kg this year. A former garment trader, Wang had long hesitated over whether to plant wheat there, until he met a group of researchers from Beijing who have spent years studying drought-resistant hybrid wheat.
The wheat variety Wang planted in Xinjiang, coded Jingmai 189, was developed by the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences after nine years of research. Like other hybrid species, it offers strong tolerance to saline-alkaline soils, diseases, drought and low temperatures.
Since the 1990s, the academy's researchers have been studying and cultivating hybrid wheat varieties. Jingmai 189 soon gained favor among growers for its high and stable yields, as well as its ability to thrive in poor soil conditions.
After successful small-scale trials in Makit, the researchers set their sights on a program to grow the wheat near the Taklamakan, the largest desert in China.
"It is not just about grain production, but also about the long-term goal of desert control," said Ren Liping, a senior agronomist with the academy's research group.
According to Ren, wheat's growing season lasts 240 to 260 days, from late September to late June the following year. This long cycle makes it an effective shield against wind and sand drift during winter.
Hybrid wheat also has a strong, deep root system that can anchor sand in place. When the straw is ploughed back after harvest, it fosters a richer microbial habitat, which in turn helps improve soil quality.
Zhang Fengting, who has devoted three decades to hybrid wheat breeding and is a core expert behind Jingmai 189, said the variety was first tested on coastal saline-alkaline land in northern China, but performed even better in demonstration plots near the inland desert.
The average soil salinity of the demonstration plot is 8.6 parts per thousand, placing it in the severely saline-alkali category. On such heavily salinized land, few plants can survive -- making grain production seem all but hopeless. For years, local farmers growing conventional wheat varieties on their best fields could barely achieve yields of just over 3,000 kg per hectare.
In mid-June this year, Wang's desert plot yielded more than 5,250 kg per hectare, about 750 kg more than other varieties. For breeding experts, this result is truly encouraging.
However, the desert-farming pilot endeavor is strictly limited. Under China's ecological protection red lines, only small portions of desert fringe areas are eligible for cultivation. Since the program was launched in 2023, it has brought just more than 6,667 hectares of desert-edge land into use, a tiny fraction of China's 120 million hectares of total farmland.
The yield gains have boosted farmers' confidence. Wang plans to expand his wheat-planting area near the desert.
Scientists are also optimistic. Ren said many advanced technologies, including molecular biology, artificial intelligence and bio-breeding, have been applied in current research. More colleagues both at home and abroad are joining the field. He believes further yield improvements are foreseeable in the near future.
Interestingly, two years ago, researchers conducted a blind tasting experiment in Xinjiang. They turned local wheat and the hybrid variety into flour, made noodles and asked participants to score them. Jingmai 189 received the highest marks.
"I am confident that with continued scientific efforts, the vision of turning deserts into arable land will gradually become a reality," Ren said. ■
