The "Black Soil and Granary" Initiative of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is promoting the construction of the Liaoning Demonstration Area in an orderly manner. This year's demonstrative experiments and the seeding work have started. 

Frequent droughts and wind erosion are the main factors that affect crop yields in western Liaoning. This year, a spring drought occurred again at the site of the western Liaoning (Fuxin) Demonstration Area, which could seriously affect the germination and seedling growth of crops. 

To fight against drought, Prof. Wu Zhijie, head of the construction project of the western Liaoning (Fuxin) Demonstration Area, organised young personnel of the project to install drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, and micro-sprinkler irrigation systems. The shallow‐buried drip irrigation system and other types of drought relief equipments will be integrated with conservation tillage, fertiliser management and anti-wind erosion technology to realise intelligent moisture measurement, automatic irrigation and automatic fertilisation, etc. 

Up till now, the drought relief supplies have been put into use, which has effectively alleviated the impacts of the spring drought and will guarantee the success of the construction of the "black soil conservation and sustainable use" demonstration area.