Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued the Recommendation Decision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on the 2020-2021 Shennong China Agricultural Science and Technology Award. 

Thenutrient resource utilization team of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), headed by researcher Zhou Wei from the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (IARRP), won the 2020-2021 Shennong China Agricultural Science and Technology Award Outstanding Innovation Team Award.

The team has presided over 52 projects, including the National Science and Technology Support Plan, 973 Plan, Public Welfare Industry Special, National Key R&D Plan, National Natural Science Foundation, International Cooperation, and hosted three second-class National Science and Technology Progress Awards, as well as first-class provincial and ministerial level 3 awards. In addition, the team has 21 national authorized invention patents and published 229 papers (126 in SCI).

In response to China's large area of medium and low-yield fields and low fertilizer utilization, The team systematically and deeply studied the nutrient resource characteristics of barrier-type low-yield paddy soil, the mechanism of low-yield obstacles, quality evaluation methods, and classification and improvement techniques, and created a theory of low-yield paddy soil improvement and soil fertility enhancement.

The team studied the mechanism of sulfur conversion and plant availability in paddy soil and dryland soil, established the theory and technology of calcium non-vascular bundle absorption and fruit surface nutrition, and developed special fertilizers for sulfur-containing crops and high-efficiency calcium fertilizers. In addition, the team also established a theory of efficient utilization of livestock and poultry organic fertilizer and straw resources and its key technologies for replacing chemical fertilizers, and created a new method of crop nutrient recommendation based on yield response and agronomic efficiency, in order to achieve high nutrient efficiency in low-yield fields and sustainable use of farmland.