What does grain yield increase rely on? Ningxia's agricultural technology system explores multiple composite technologies

Since the beginning of this year, the agricultural technology extension departments of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region have aimed to increase farmers' income, adhered to a problem-oriented approach, actively promoted quality improvement and efficiency enhancement of key industries, strengthened service capabilities, and achieved initial results in promoting the healthy development of crop production.

It is understood that in response to the main problems constraining high and stable grain yields in the central and northern regions, technological innovation activities have produced remarkable results. Agricultural technology departments at all levels in the autonomous region focused on the improvement of one million mu of saline-alkali land in the northern Yinchuan area. In 2016, 35 water and salt dynamic monitoring points were established in northern Yinchuan, and a cumulative total of 520 salinization monitoring and survey samples were collected, providing a technical basis for the improvement of saline-alkali land in northern Yinchuan. In response to the problem of low water and fertilizer use efficiency, agricultural technology departments at all levels built 7 demonstration zones for integrated water and fertilizer technology for corn and potatoes in Pingluo County, Litong District, Shapotou District, Yanchi County, Tongxin County, Haiyuan County and Yuanzhou District, with a cumulative demonstration area of 4,600 mu. They persisted in integrating and supporting dryland rainfed agriculture technologies. After years of unremitting efforts, they successively created a group of comprehensive, permanent, distinctly characteristic and richly contented dryland rainfed agriculture demonstration and exhibition bases, including Yuanzhou Nanyuan, Pengyang Changcheng Yuan, Tongxin Yuwang and Haiyuan Wuyuan. The autonomous region's agricultural technology extension departments took multiple measures simultaneously, and service mechanism innovation took new steps. The Nonglida Agricultural Technology Service Station in Lingwu City innovated service methods and introduced new mechanisms such as e-commerce and financial services. The agricultural technology service stations in Helan County and Shapotou District replicated and promoted the Yongning Grain Bank model. The agricultural technology service stations in Qingtongxia City and Litong District promoted the extension of the high-quality grain industry toward leisure and sightseeing agriculture, creating demonstration platforms for the integration of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries, and achieving good results. Reporter Zhang Guofeng