2025 Conference of SSSC Specialty Committee on Salt-affected Soils, and Symposium on "Comprehensive Utilization and Productivity Enhancement of Saline-Alkali Land" Held in Xinjiang

The 2025 Conference of the Soil Science Society of China (SSSC) Specialty Committee on Salt-affected Soils, along with the Symposium on "Comprehensive Utilization and Productivity Enhancement of Saline-Alkali Land", was successfully held in Shihezi, Xinjiang,from August 19 to 20, 2025. The event was hosted by SSSC Specialty Committee on Salt-affected Soils, and co-organized by the Shihezi University, the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Xinjiang Soil and Fertilizer Association, and the National Innovation Center for Comprehensive Utilization of Saline-Alkali Land.

The conference brought together over 300 participants, including experts and scholars specializing in saline-alkali land improvement and utilization, graduate students, frontline technical staff, and entrepreneurs from more than 50 universities and research institutes across China, as well as over 10 foreign scholars from countries along the Belt and Road. They engaged in in-depth discussions on the comprehensive utilization and productivity enhancement of saline-alkali land, sharing their expertise and insights to advance China's saline-alkali land management initiatives.

On August 19, LUO Honghai, Deputy Head of the Research Office of Shihezi University, presided over the opening ceremony. GE Zhihui (Major of Shihezi), LI Zhaomin (President of Shihezi University), and YAO Rongjiang (Chair of SSSC Specialty Committee on Salt-affected Soils) delivered opening remarks.

Participants at the Conference

The conference featured keynote presentations, parallel session presentations, graduate student sessions, and poster exhibitions. A total of 12 experts in the field of saline-alkali land management were invited to deliver keynote presentations. Academician YIN Feihu of the Chinese Academy of Engineering delivered a keynote presentaiton titled “Practical Experiences in Saline-Alkali Land Improvement in Xinjiang.” Eleven other experts, including Prof. TIAN Changyan from XIEG, shared their latest research findings and innovative technologies for saline-alkali land improvement. Topics covered included precise water-salt regulation through efficient irrigation and drainage in saline-alkali land, selection and breeding of salt-tolerant crops and plants as well as their salt-resistance mechanisms, exploration and development of salt-tolerant growth-promoting microbial resources, creation and evaluation of functional soil amendment products, enhancement of soil fertility and nutrient use efficiency in saline-alkali land, and safe utilization of saline water resources.

Keynote presentations by YIn Feihu and TIAN Changyan

On the afternoon of August 20, participants conducted a field visit to demonstration zones for the improvement of heavily and moderately saline-alkali land in Shihezi. Prof. ZHANG Fenghua from Shihezi University provided a comprehensive overview of his team's achievements in water-saving and salt-regulation techniques, as well as carbon-enrichment soil improvement in moderately and heavily saline-alkali land. By integrating technology with innovative management approaches, the team successfully addressed the key soil constraints of saline-alkali land and enhanced soil fertility. These technical demonstrations offered participants a deeper understanding of comprehensive saline-alkali land management in Xinjiang and played a crucial role in promoting exchanges and cooperation among universities, research institutes, and enterprises. As a result, they contributed significantly to the comprehensive utilization and productivity enhancement of saline-alkali land in arid regions.

Field Visit

Contact

LONG Huaping

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography

E-mail: longhp@ms.xjb.ac.cn

Web: http://english.egi.cas.cn