Ningxia maize sets a high-yield record in the arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China
Innovative progress in Ningxia maize is driving yield increases in the arid regions of Northwest China, with improved varieties and cultivation methods helping achieve a high-yield breakthrough Focus on new maize varieties and key technologies to unlock dual improvements in food security and forage production
China News Service, Yinchuan, Sept. 7 Relying on seed industry breakthroughs and innovations in cultivation techniques, Ningxia has driven new advances in corn production in the arid and semiarid regions of northwest China. The Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences said that corn has become the region's largest crop, supporting food security and providing a stable source of forage for animal husbandry.
In recent years, Ningxia's research teams have continued to focus on independent innovation in seed sources and efficient planting, having bred a number of new corn varieties and developed key technologies for grain corn to address production challenges such as highdensity planting to prevent lodging, water and fertilizer regulation, and lowmoisture grain harvesting. Some of these technologies have already been listed among the country's key agricultural technologies for promotion.
With the coordinated promotion of improved varieties and good farming practices, corn yields in Ningxia's different ecological zones have continued to rise. Over the past two years, grain corn in the Yellow River irrigation area, the arid sandy region, and the southern Ningxia mountainous area has set highyield records in the arid and semiarid regions of northwest China. Silage corn has also seen improvements in both yield and quality, providing experience and reference for the development of local agriculture and animal husbandry.