Huawei Technologies has reached an agreement with renowned agriculturalist Yuan Longping, China's father of hybrid rice, to develop "sea rice" that can grow on saline-alkali soil.
The technology is expected to help transform 1.5 billion mu (100 million hectares) of China's saline land into 100 million mu of arable farmland, news website ifeng.com reported.
The core technology of "sea rice" involves breeding new varieties of rice and adjusting soil and crops, Huawei's rotating chairman Ken Hu said. The technology is based on a system of "internet of Things for elements" and is achieved through "digitalizing lands," the report said.
"Sea rice," which is developed by Yuan, refers to saline-alkali tolerant rice which can grow in saltwater and is also resistant to diseases and pests.
The transformation of 1.5 billion mu of saline land is expected to yield 30 billion more kilograms of grains every year, which is equivalent to the annual grain output of farmlands in Central China's Hunan Province, feeding 80 million more people, according to the report.
