In early summer, the once-white saline-alkali land in the Yellow River Delta of Dongying, Shandong Province, is gradually turning green. Previously, due to the high salt content and compacted soil, ordinary tractors could not plow deeply enough, limiting their improvement efforts. This year, specialized tractors equipped with deep tillage devices have been put into use, significantly improving saline-alkali land improvement efficiency and potentially enabling the autumn harvest of 1,000 mu of additional grain fields.
"Tractors used to plow only 20 centimeters, but now they can plow 40 centimeters deep and evenly incorporate amendments, making the soil much more breathable!" said Zhang Jianguo, a farmer in Kenli District, Dongying City, while operating a tractor on saline-alkali land. He explained that this tractor is equipped with a reinforced deep tillage plow, which breaks up the compacted soil layer. The additional amendment spreader allows for precise control of the amount of amendment applied, reducing the cost of improvement by 30 yuan per mu and increasing the daily area improved by a single tractor from 12 mu to 25 mu. To address the challenges of saline-alkali land reclamation, the Dongying Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, in collaboration with research institutions, has developed tractor operating standards: using high-horsepower engines to ensure deep plowing power; replacing them with wide tires to prevent tractors from getting stuck in soft saline-alkali soil; and installing soil salinity sensors to provide real-time feedback on the reclamation results. Over 60 agricultural machinery operators have also been trained to adjust operating parameters based on soil salinity.
In the Dongying Agricultural High-Tech Industrial Demonstration Zone, salt-tolerant wheat varieties have been planted on the improved saline-alkali land. Farmer Wang Xinjun said, "Last year, the 50 mu of land I reclaimed with tractors yielded 350 kilograms of wheat per mu. This year, with the additional 200 mu, I'd also like to try growing corn. With the help of machines, I feel more confident!" To date, 230 specialized tractors in Dongying have been involved in saline-alkali land reclamation, improving 12,000 mu of land. Of this, 1,000 mu has already been planted with grain crops. This autumn harvest is expected to yield over 300 kilograms per mu. The local area has also established an integrated "improvement-planting" service. After the tractor is improved, sowing and irrigation are immediately followed up to prevent secondary soil compaction. "The tractor not only improved our land, but also transformed the wasteland into a farmland. Our lives will get better and better in the future!" Zhang Jianguo looked at the thriving wheat seedlings, his eyes full of anticipation.
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