On Nov 21, 2025, the 12th China Modern Agriculture Development Forum and the Annual Conference of the Chinese Society of Agronomy were held in Hangzhou. At the event, the 2025 list of  Major New Agricultural Technologies, Products, and Scenarios—collectively called the "Three New Achievements"—was announced. Two innovations from the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (IARRP), at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, were selected: 

• "Fertile Plow Layer Construction and Productivity Enhancement Technology for Saline–Alkali Land" (Major New Technology)

• "Integrated Water-Saving and Salt-Control Comprehensive Management for Saline–Alkali Land in the Yellow River Irrigation Area of Ordos"(Major New Scenario)

The fertile plow layer construction and synergistic productivity enhancement technology establishes a "straw blind ditch–sand infiltration hole" salt-control system and integrates key innovations such as dual-pulse carbon enhancement and coated controlled-release nitrogen and activated phosphorus technologies. It effectively addresses long-standing challenges in saline–alkali land improvement—such as recurring salinization, slow soil fertility buildup, and low nutrient-use efficiency. The approach expands plow-layer carbon stocks by more than 10% and raises nitrogen and phosphorus utilization efficiency by 10%–15%.

The integrated water-saving and salt-control management scenario for Ordos offers a tiered solution system tailored to different degrees of soil salinity: for mildly saline-alkali land, the "Triple-Effect Integrated" model that combines plow-layer organic fertilization, root-zone integrated water-fertilizer management, and surface salt-resistant seed coating fertilizer; for moderately saline-alkali land, the "Four-Dimensional Coupling" model incorporating straw interlayer salt isolation, precision drip irrigation for salt control, soil fertilization and amelioration for salt adjustment, and bio-enhanced salt tolerance; and for severely saline-alkali land, the "Five-in-One" adaptive cultivation model based on suitable species, suitable tillage, suitable practices, suitable water management, and suitable salt management.. In core demonstration zones, soil salinity in the plow layer decreased by 20%–40%, seedling emergence rates exceeded 85%, and productivity increased by 10%–25%. The model has already been applied across 2.55 million mu (approximately 170,000 hectares) in the region, serving as a replicable example for managing and utilizing saline–alkali land  along the Yellow River.

The "Three New Achievements" were selected through rigorous review by over 100 academicians and experts from the Chinese Society of Agronomy. The inclusion of these two IARRP innovations significantly supports advancements in technical optimization and model innovation for saline–alkali land utilization. It will further accelerate scientific and technological breakthroughs, demonstration applications, and the transformation of innovations in areas such as saline–alkali land improvement, farmland quality enhancement, and soil health.