The 17th National Symposium on the Management and Development of Soil and Fertilizer Research Institutes was held in Hohhot — capital of North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region — from July 31 to Aug 1. 

Liu Xianwu, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, attended and addressed the meeting. The symposium emphasized that cultivated land was the lifeline of grain production. Attendees heard that research institutes and universities in the field of soil and fertilizer across the country should work closely together with a focus on the nation's significant priorities, and they should lead in technological innovation for farmland — seizing the strategic initiative on farmland health at this critical juncture of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period. The meeting stressed the need to observe the new requirements of the agricultural science and technology reforms, engage in organized research, and enhance the overall effectiveness of the innovation system — to support national food and ecological security through high-level scientific self-reliance and strength.

The symposium invited six academicians and experts, including Zhou Wei, Xu Minggang and Wang Lichun, to deliver keynote reports. They systematically analyzed strategic directions for enhancing the quality and productivity of China's arable land and deeply explored emerging interdisciplinary fields such as smart fertilization and digital soil. They introduced the latest research progress in areas like the rational construction of arable layers in the black soil region of Northeast China, and the enhancement of fertile land in the northern agro-pastoral ecotone. Participants also engaged in group discussions on topics such as black soil protection, saline-alkali land management and plant nutrient management.

Representatives of soil and fertilizer research institutes and universities from 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities from across the country attended the symposium.