On October 13, 2022, the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Liaoning Province (DARAL) held a singing ceremony and signed a framework cooperation agreement on black soil conservation and utilization at IAE.

FANG Yunting, deputy director of IAE, expressed his sincere welcome to JI Dengyi, deputy director of DARAL, JU Yang, head of the Farmland Construction Division of DARAL, and WANG Jianzhong, deputy head of the Agricultural Mechanization Development Center of DARAL. FANG took a fresh look at the long history of cooperation between the two sides, as well as the necessity to implement the Black Soil & Granary Initiative. He added that IAE would work together with DARAL in scientific and technological innovation areas in order to promote the development of modern agriculture and ensure grain security, and that the two sides would jointly boost the demonstration and promotion of black soil conservation and utilization techniques.

Ji Dengyi said that IAE and DARAL should attach great importance to the deployment of the National Black Soil Conservation Strategy (2017-2030) and the National Black Soil Conservation Tillage Action Plan (2020-2025), and contribute to the implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan for Rural Revitalization in Liaoning Province and the 14th Five-Year Plan for Agricultural Modernization in Liaoning Province. He suggested that the two sides make great efforts to build a long-term and effective cooperation mechanism, establish an expert team, realize complementary advantages and resource sharing, fully promote the implementation of the CAS' Black Soil & Granary Action Plan in Liaoning Province, and promote the conservation and utilization of black soil and the development of modern agriculture in Liaoning Province.

Researcher ZHANG Lili gave a talk on the implementation of the "Black Soil Conservation and Utilization Science and Technology Innovation Program (Black Soil & Granary Initiative)" in Shenyang Demonstration Zone. Participants from IAE and DARAL discussed the practical aspects of implementing the program.  

This signing ceremony deepens the cooperation between the two sides in particular on the implementation of the national black soil conservation strategy.