The Belt and Road International Agricultural Green Development Conference on Water and Resource Utilization Scientific and Technological Innovation was held at the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (IARRP) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) on Dec 20.

Sixteen experts and scholars from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and many domestic universities and research institutes gave special reports, and 97 people participated in the conference both online and offline.

The conference was guided by the Science and Technology Education Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, hosted by the CAAS, the Science and Technology Development Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the Chinese Agricultural Society.

The experts conducted extensive and in-depth discussions on the hot topics in the development of green agriculture, such as "Science and Technology Innovation and Coordinated Development, Environment and Sustainable Development". Their reports covered multiple topics such as innovative agricultural irrigation technology, modern water and soil resource management, new fertilizer and fertilization technology, and agricultural environmental governance against the background of agricultural green development.

Professors Ray Bryant, Kyle Knipper and Stout John from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture gave reports on Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer: The Second Green Revolution, Improving Water Management in California Vineyards with Satellite Remote Sensing, and Seasonal Water-Level Perturbation Beneath the High Plains of the Llano Estacado.

Professor Patrick Drohan from Pennsylvania State University shared a report entitled "Development and Validation of a Critical Source Area Index Tool to Identify Areas Vulnerable to Phosphorus Loss", and Professor Si Bing Cheng from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada reported on "Contrasting Strategies to Combat Droughts: Roles of Deep Roots under Different Soil Wetness".

Professor Jian Liu from the University of Manitoba in Canada reviewed more than 120 articles from a special issue of Agricultural Water Management and reported on new data, theories and technologies for sustainable agricultural water management in the Yellow River Basin. Wei Hu of the New Zealand Center for Sustainable Agriculture Development reported that soil physical health is the key to sustainable agriculture in New Zealand. Ahmed Saleh from Egypt's National Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics made a report on "Assessment of potentially Toxic Element Contamination Using Geochemical and Magnetic Analysis in Great Cairo, Egypt". Professor James Byrne from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom gave a report on "Interactions between Microbes, Minerals, Metals and Magnetism".

Researcher He Ping from the IARRP spoke on the Fertilizer Recommendation Approach Based on Yield Response. Experts such as Dr. Shengping Li from the IARRP, Dr. Zhang Jili and Dr. He Xiaolei from Heilongjiang Bayi Land Reclamation University, and Professor Yang Pingguo from Shanxi Normal University introduced negative pressure irrigation technology. The effects of corn, soybeans, apples, vegetables and other crops were explained in terms of gene expression, soil moisture and nutrient uniformity, and other aspects of their water and fertilizer efficiency mechanisms. Researcher Long Huaiyu made a report entitled "Soil Water Time Variation Affects Crop Water Availability and Nutrient Uptake Rate", explaining the scientific principles of crop drawing water technology and pointing out a number of scientific issues that the new irrigation technology can now resolve.

Through the conference, the participating experts shared their domestic and foreign agricultural green development experience, scientific concepts and technology, expanded the world's green agricultural exchange channels, and promoted the continuous development of the discipline.

In addition, the experts hope to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation, take advantage of the resulting interdisciplinary and cross-field comprehensive advantages, and through a series of steps provide strong scientific and technological support services for Belt and Road international agricultural green development.

The "Belt and Road" International Agricultural Green Development Conference on Water and Resources Utilization Scientific and Technological Innovation is held at the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (IARRP) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) on Dec 20. [Photo/IARRP]