He said CAAS is working hard to develop new strains of high-yield seeds of a large variety of agricultural produce, including wheat, rice, corn and soybean, and is trying to introduce those high-yield seeds and other advanced technologies to different areas of the country.

Take "super hybrid rice" for example. Scientists in China, a world leader in this hybrid technology, produced a yield of 19 tons per hectare in trial plots last year. Experts said the technology, once extensively applied in large areas throughout the country, is expected to produce a yield of 12 tons of rice per hectare, up 71 percent from the current average yield in China and up 300 percent from the yield per unit in other countries.

To improve the efficiency of seed breeding, CAAS's experts have developed "Aibai wheat" (dwarf sterile wheat) technology to help improve the efficiency of cultivating high-yield seeds by shortening the time of seed breeding.

Agricultural experts said greater efforts are being made to transform saline-alkali soil into arable land. This is one way to make more of the limited land.

Agricultural scientists and experts in CAAS have also imported "genetic resources" from other countries in South America and Europe to crossbreed high-yield seeds.

In addition to the technologies of cultivating high-yield seeds, CAAS is also gearing up to cooperate with other countries to improve the efficiency of irrigation and harvesting.

It is estimated that an average of 5 to 10 percent of grains are wasted in harvesting. But by using the new technology introduced by the CAAS from other countries, the wastage of grains can be cut down to 3 to 5 percent.

Experts have also shown their concern over the negative impact on grain output from the increased costs of fertilizers and energy.

(China Daily August 19, 2008)