On August 28, ZHANG Yaping, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), visited the Lishu Conservation Tillage Research and Development Base (referred to as the Lishu R&D Base) of the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), CAS.

After hearing Prof. HE Hongbo, head of the Agricultural Centre of IAE report their work on conservation tillage, such as technical modes of conservation tillage, the related agricultural machinery, technical demonstration and promotion, long-term soil and crop yield monitoring done by IAE scientists since the establishment of the R&D base in 2007, as well as role of the technique in formulation and implementation of the "Black Soil Conservation Tillage Action Plan of China," ZHANG Yaping spoke highly of the achievements made by IAE in conservation tillage research and practices. He spoke of the importance of implementing the spirit of XI Jinping’s important speech on protection of the high-yielding black soil during XI's visit to Jilin. ZHANG demanded efforts to figure out key points and difficulties in basic research of conservation tillage and its technical integration and demonstration. He also encouraged the researchers to continue to do a good job in research and promotion of conservation tillage, and in upgrading of agricultural machinery in line with local conditions.

FANG Yunting, deputy director of IAE, ZHUO Junchen, secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection of IAE, WANG Xugao, head of the Science and Technology Division of IAE, and Dr. XIE Hongtu who has been conducting research on conservation tillage at the Lishu R&D Base, accompanied ZHANG Yaping during his visit to the R&D Base.