Chinese Scientists Successfully Accelerate Rice Growth in Desert Using Speed Breeding
Published on: June 1, 2024.
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Amidst the vast desert of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, researchers are revolutionizing agriculture through advanced greenhouse technologies. The Institute of Urban Agriculture (IUA) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences has successfully harvested the first batch of rice grown in the desert.
The rice cultivation takes place in greenhouses spanning ten thousand acres in Hotan, southern Xinjiang. Contrary to traditional methods, the rice is grown on three-layer frames within the desert greenhouses, with precise environment control. This innovative technique reduces the growth cycle by nearly half, enabling harvest in just two months.
Chief scientist Yang Qichang highlights that this achievement builds upon the team’s earlier successes in Chengdu’s plant factory. By utilizing speed breeding technology, they were able to halve the growth period for the first time in 2021.
Yang believes that the harsh climate of the Hotan desert presents an opportunity rather than an obstacle. The region’s unique geographical characteristics, including extensive sunlight hours and a significant temperature difference between day and night, create an ideal environment for crop cultivation.
To accelerate plant growth, researchers employ dynamic LED lighting recipes, specific nutrient solutions, and advanced soilless cultivation technologies.
Energy-efficient methods implemented in the Hotan desert greenhouses have resulted in significantly reduced operational costs compared to traditional greenhouses. Yang reveals that the construction cost of these energy-saving desert greenhouses is only one-third of Dutch glasshouses, with operational costs accounting for just 25 percent. Dutch glasshouses are renowned worldwide as outstanding examples of facility-based agriculture.
Furthermore, Yang predicts that with the application of green energy, mechanization, and artificial intelligence, both construction and operation costs of this type of greenhouse can be further reduced. This will enhance its competitiveness on the international stage.
This breakthrough in speed breeding technology for desert greenhouse crops paves the way for annual crop production and speed breeding in Xinjiang’s desert greenhouses, according to Yang.
The research team led by Yang has also explored speed breeding technologies for staple crops such as soybean, maize, and wheat, as well as for oilseed rape, cotton, and alfalfa in the Hotan desert greenhouse.
Source: [Tribune](https://tribune.com.pk)
