BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- China is beefing up acidified farmland treatment efforts with a view to improving farmland quality and better safeguarding national food security.
According to a document issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs recently, treatment endeavors will focus on areas with a high concentration of acidified farmland, including the acidified red soil and lateritic red soil areas in south China, and the acidified red soil and yellow soil areas in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
Other areas where acidified farmlands concentrate include those located in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the Sichuan and Chongqing regions, all in southwest China, as well as parts of northeast China.
Region-specific, technology-supported measures will be taken for treatment efforts, according to the document, which outlines work priorities spanning scientific fertilization and improvement of farming conditions, as well as monitoring and evaluation.
Soil acidification, a widespread soil degradation problem around the world, threatens food security and the quality of agricultural products.
Soil acidification is the gradual drop in soil pH as nutrients like calcium and magnesium are washed away, making it harder for crops to grow. While natural rainfall causes slow acidification over time, acid rain, as well as human activities such as intensive farming and long-term imbalanced use of chemical fertilizers, especially ammonium nitrogen fertilizers and urea, have sped it up dramatically. To fix it, farmers can apply lime, use more organic fertilizer and crop straw, balance their fertilizer use, and rotate crops to restore soil health.
China has taken targeted actions in this regard in recent years. In 2023, the country selected 20 counties across 15 provinces and regions with relatively large areas of acidified farmland to carry out treatment projects in an effort to increase the soil pH of acidified farmlands and raise grain production capacity.
The latest measures form part of the nation's broader efforts to boost food security during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). According to the plan, the country will step up efforts to increase grain production capacity by 50 million tonnes over the coming years.
