From September 27 to 28, 2022, ZHANG Tao, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), visited Qingyuan Forest Ecosystem National Field Observation and Research Station (hereinafter referred to as "Qingyuan Station") and Changtu Demonstration Base of the CAS's Black Soil & Granary Initiative Shenyang Demonstration Zone Project for inspection and guidance.

XU Hang, deputy head of the CAS's science and technology promotion and development bureau, YU Haibin, president of the CAS's Shenyang Branch, participated in the inspection. ZHU Jiaojun, Director of the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of CAS and other administrative leaders of IAE accompanied ZHANG Tao on his visit to Qingyuan Station.

On September 27, ZHANG Tao visited the History Museum and the Data Center of Qingyuan Station and learned about the station's 20-year development, achievements and contributions. He listened to the report made by ZHU Jiaojun on promoting the re-establishment of the National Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Major Ecological Engineering. At Qingyuan Station, ZHANG Tao inspected the Ker Towers for Carbon Sink Monitoring, the field warming research plots, the forest catchment hydrological monitoring system, the permanent research plots located in the secondary forest ecosystem, and other scientific research platforms. ZHANG Tao praised the achievements of Qingyuan Station in long-term ecological observation and research and its contributions to ecological theory and applications. He suggested that IAE should gather outstanding experts and young scientists to make greater scientific and technological (S&T) contributions to meet the national needs in ecological construction.

On September 28, in Changtu County, ZHANG Tao listened to the project progress report made by ZHANG Lili, the leader of Shenyang Demonstration Zone Project Working Group of the Black Soil Special Program, and the report made by Prof. ZHANG Xudong, the principal investigator in charge of Changtu black soil conservative tillage model. Zhang Tao went to the core exhibition area of the Black Soil Special Program, inspected the combined planting and breeding facilities and Changtu Experimental Station, and communicated with farmers in local Agricultural Cooperatives on the effectiveness and economic benefits of black soil conservative tillage. He pointed out that black soil conservation was very important for the national food security strategy. He hoped that IAE would promote the research, demonstration and application of the black soil conservative farming techniques, accelerate the construction of Changtu Agricultural Experimental Station, obtain a number of major S&T achievements, and provide S&T support for the implementation of the national strategy of "storing grains with high-techs and sufficient fields."

Afterwards, ZHANG Tao Met with WANG Mingyu, Vice Governor of Liaoning Province. The two sides exchanged views on topics of common concern, including the demonstration and promotion of black soil conservative tillage in Liaoning Province, and further cooperation in scientific and technological innovation areas.