Desert corps lays foundation for progress in Xinjiang

Fertile land

One of the major tasks of the corps was to develop agriculture. The results have been remarkable.

In 2023, areas administered by the XPCC produced 4.059 million metric tons of food. With only 0.39 percent of the national planting area to farm, they achieved a food production increase of 906,000 tons last year, accounting for 10.2 percent of the national increase, according to local authorities.

Located at the edge of desert, the land is dry and there are scarce rains — not ideal conditions for growing. However, the XPCC has set national records for the highest per-acre yields of winter wheat, spring wheat, and spring soybeans.

How so? For one thing, it is a pioneer in water-saving planting technology.

At a cotton-planting base in Shihezi, countless fluffy buds adorn the branches, resembling an endless sea of white when viewed from afar.

However, not a single water channel is visible. "Large-diameter water pipes are shallowly buried underground, replacing traditional channels. It prevents water leakage and evaporation, achieving a water-saving rate of over 10 percent and improving water transmission efficiency," said Ma Zhandong, senior engineer of the Xinjiang Tianye (Group) Co, which developed the technology.

The drip irrigation method is now used on more than 40 types of crops nationwide and covers an area exceeding 66,667 square kilometers. It has also been exported to 18 countries and regions, Ma said.

In July, Qitai Farm in Qitai county, Changji Hui autonomous prefecture, known as the "grain barn" of the XPCC, again set a new record for winter wheat yield in Xinjiang, producing an average yield of 873.2 kilograms per mu (0.067 hectares).

The China-developed "Xindong 52" winter wheat variety planted at the farm has strong tolerance to cold and drought.

"It shows significant advantages in terms of the number of wheat ears and grains, and still has the potential for further yield increase," said Zhan Yong, director of the crop research institute of the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science.

In 2023, the average wheat yield per mu of the XPCC was 466.1 kilograms, and the average corn yield per mu was 782.6 kilograms, which both significantly exceeded the national averages.

The XPCC has also taken the lead in establishing a national agricultural water-saving irrigation demonstration base, an agricultural mechanization promotion base, and a modern agricultural demonstration base.

The mature and efficient agricultural production conditions have been the foundation for the corps to continuously improve grain yields in recent years, said Hu Jianguo, chief agronomist of the XPCC's agriculture and rural affairs bureau.

The mechanization rate for crop cultivation and harvesting has reached 95.5 percent, and the water-saving coverage rate is at 94.8 percent, Hu added.