Chinese scientists have successfully developed fast breeding rice in desert greenhouses in Hotan Prefecture, Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, for the first time under the trial period, making the rice grow from planting to harvest in just 75 days.
Traditionally, rice has a growth cycle of over 120 days. The tech reduces the rice’s growth cycle by around 40 percent compared to rice cultivated in traditional fields, and makes it possible to carry out year-round cultivation and fast breeding of crops in desert areas, according to the Institute of Urban Agriculture (IUA), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Yang Qichang, chief scientist of IUA, explained that the rapid breeding of rice is primarily achieved through vertical soilless cultivation, using techniques such as temperature control, intelligent supplementary lighting with artificial LED light sources, and nutrient regulation. These methods enhance the rate of photosynthesis in rice, promoting earlier flowering and heading.
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