Hebei imports saline tolerant plant to improve environment

North China's Hebei Province has imported a saline tolerant plant in a move to better use its large areas of alkaline land, authorities said Sunday.

Cangzhou City has ordered Szarvasi 1, a grass used in power production, from Hungary, which can be planted on saline and alkaline land, the local bureau of foreign experts affairs said.

Cangzhou has nearly 3.8 million mu (about 250,000 hectares) of saline and alkaline land in the city's eastern regions. They are left uncultivated since trees planted on it only live two to three years at most.

"Cangzhou City and Hungary are at a similar latitude, so the grass can grow well in the city," said Yang Qingrong, head of the bureau.

Yang said the city's academy of agricultural sciences has signed an agreement with a Hungarian company to import such grass in a move to restore local vegetation, improve regional ecosystem and economy.

The grass proved to grow well in the city's saline and alkaline land after two years of trial, he said, adding that it can be used to feed cows and goats, replace coal as a renewable fuel, and work as additive in paper making and chemical engineering.

Wang Lijing, a staff of Bejing Branch with Corvinus University of Budapest, said the grass can improve soil conditions and ease air pollution.

Szarvasi 1 is a fast-growing, high yield and low cost plant that can adapt well to different environments.