On May 25, 2021, the Shenyang Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) organised a Project Check Meeting for the key regional project of Science and Technology Service Network Initiative (STS) of CAS titled "Corn Straw Mulching and No-tillage Paradigm Establishment and Demonstration in Liaoning Province", aiming at assessing the fulfilment of the project's goals and tasks. The project was led by a group of scientists from the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), CAS. 

Professor Wang Jingkuan and Professor Han Xiaori of Shenyang Agricultural University, Yang Hong and Liu hua from the Modern Agricultural Production Base of Liaoning Province, Sun Wentao from the Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhang Zaiqun, head of Rural Division of the Liaoning Provincial Department of Science and Technology, and the financial experts formed a project review expert panel. Professor Wang Jingkuan served as the head of the expert panel. Some of the administrative leaders from CAS headquarters, CAS Shenyang Branch and IAE, representatives of Agricultural Machinery Cooperatives, members of the research project, a total of approximately 30 people, attended the meeting in Shenyang or through an online video meeting platform. 

Zhang Xudong, chief expert of the project, played a video showing the demonstration and promotion process of the project, and then he gave a detailed report on the project implementation status (e.g., project goals and task completion status). 

The project review experts noted that the project established a good technical system, which is very suitable for promoting conservation tillage in corn growing areas in Liaoning. The technical system is characterised by Straw Mulching and Returning Straw into Soil. It can effectively prevent soil loss, increase crop yields, carbon sequestration, soil fertility and soil drought resistance. Also, the full set of technical system integrates technical support and training service with project demonstration and promotion at regional scale. The implementation of the STS project has been highly valued by national and local authorities, and has promoted the upgrading of black soil protection to a national strategy and initiative. All of the project review experts agreed that the STS project is a well-done project and therefore they permitted the project to pass the acceptance checks. 

At the end of the meeting, Ma Yuehong highly praised the achievements of the project. She said that the project provided technical support and demonstration paradigm for the protection and utilisation of black soil in Liaoning Province, and has greatly improved the conservation and production efficiency.