The experimental planting of Zhanjiang sea rice proved successful in Kashgar, Sinkiang, increasing local rice production by 100 kilograms per mu and igniting locals' hope of rising from poverty. A harvest ceremony was held on Oct 7.

Sea rice is a new type of rice that can grow in saline-alkaline soil at the junctures where rivers join the sea. The plant is resistant to pests and diseases, and does not need fertilizer.

The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences' (CAAS) Agricultural Genomics Institute of Shenzhen was invited to carry out the experimental plantation of sea rice developed by researcher Chen Risheng in Kashgar earlier this year.

The newly built sea rice plantation in Kashgar. [Photo/Shenzhen Press Group]

Six sea rice samples were planted at a newly built sea rice plantation – the first of its kind in Kashgar – and a modern agriculture demonstration park. The yield exceeded expectations.

The institute's subsidiary, CAAS Sea Rice (Shenzhen) Biotechnology, plans to plant more than 10,000 mu (667 hectares) of sea rice in the area in 2019.

Experts from CAAS Sea Rice (Shenzhen) Biotechnology inspect the sea rice. [Photo/Shenzhen Press Group]