Current situation, problems and suggestions for comprehensive utilization of saline-alkali soil in Hebei Province

Saline alkali land is becoming one of the most important potential reserve farmland resources to guarantee the national food security with the population increased. As one of the 13 major grain producing areas in China, Hebei Province have three types saline alkali soil and are the typical kinds of saline alkali areas with an area 38.89×10⁴ hm², which are the representative of coastal, Huanghuaihai and inland saline alkali areas. Therefore, it is of great significance for implementing the food security strategy and promoting the development of characteristic agriculture in the saline alkali land region to study the comprehensive utilization of saline alkali land in Hebei Province. Based on the data from the second and third soil surveys on saline alkali land from the different departments, this article comprehensively analyzed the changes, current situation, problems, and development paths of comprehensive utilization of saline alkali land in Hebei Province. The findings were as follows: 1) Over the past 40 years, the area of saline alkali land in Hebei Province has shown a significantly decreasing trend with a decrease rate of 68.52%. Before 2010, most of the decreased area of saline alkali land was for the mild saline alkali land with an area 23.77×10⁴ hm², however, the significantly decreased area was heavy saline alkali land after 2010 with an area 11.11×10⁴ hm². Meanwhile, the changes in saline alkali land area were bigger in Zhangjiakou and Hengshui cities with an area of 2.33×10⁵ hm² and 1.12×10⁵ hm², were relatively small in Cangzhou and Tangshan cities with an area of 2.49×10⁴ hm² and 3.37×10⁴ hm². 2) The comprehensive utilization of saline alkali land in Hebei Province has made some important achievements in the past 40 years with some new technologies developed. Some crop new varieties with salt tolerant has been released including winter wheat, alfalfa and so on. Some researcher developed the joint utilization of multiple water sources in farmland including rainfall, shallow brackish water, soil water and so on. The soil quality improvement technologies including straw returning with the organic fertilizer application, construction of fertile cultivation layer, some specialized fertilizer, specialized equipment was developed. The joint application of new varieties, technologies, products, and equipment in various types of saline alkali lands had significantly improved the soil quality of saline alkali farmland and crop production capacity. 3) With the implementation of major strategy of national food security, the coordinated development of Jing-Jin-Ji, and the increasing demand for people’s quality of life, it is very urgent need to comprehensive utilization technology for saline alkali land. However, the maturity and penetration of comprehensive utilization technologies for different saline alkali land regions, policy continuity, comprehensive utilization technology, research and development potential and promotion of varieties still need to be improved. It also is urgent need to develop the saline alkali land characteristic industries which would be benefit for the farmer’s income and the agriculture sustainable development. According to the current situation for the food requirement, the distribution and area of saline alkali land, and the modern technologies and so on, the corresponding countermeasures and suggestions have been put forward in terms of political, industry, academia, research and application, financial subsidies and support.