Recently, a key event was held in Qiyang city — administered by Yongzhou city in central Hunan province — called the Field Observation, Yield Measurement, and Seminar on the Technology Model of Conditioner-Assisted Water Control to Suppress Re-acidification. Organized by the Hengyang Red Soil Experimental Station of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), the event brought together research institutions including the Hunan Institute of Agricultural Soil and Eco-Environment and Hunan Agricultural University. It also attracted the participation of promotions agencies like the agricultural comprehensive service centers of Yongzhou and Hengyang, grassroots units such as Yongzhou Vocational Technical College, the Qiyang agricultural project service center, and the Babao town agricultural comprehensive service center, as well as major local growers. 

The red soil paddy fields in southern China, which derived from sandy parent materials, exhibit strong acidity and weak acid buffering capacity, making them prone to reacidification after amendment. Although applying lime substances has shown significant effects in preventing acidification, they have the limitation of providing single nutrients and functions, which can lead to nutrient imbalances and crop yield reduction with long-term use. Furthermore, the removal of base ions during the crop harvest, and the oxidation and release of hydrogen ions from variable valence elements — such as nitrogen, sulfur, iron, and manganese under alternating wet and dry conditions in paddy fields — exacerbate soil reacidification. The Liu Gengling acidified farmland management research task force of the CAAS proposed a method of using conditioners in conjunction with water controls to suppress soil reacidification. This involves using alkaline conditioners to rapidly reduce acidity, incorporating straw to increase the soil's acid buffering capacity and reduce the removal of base ions during harvest, and controlling water to lower the soil's redox potential, thereby reducing the oxidation of variable valence elements that produce acid. This stabilizes soil pH and achieves the goal of inhibiting soil reacidification.

In the rice test demonstration field in Babao town, in Qiyang city, participating experts conducted yield measurements on fields using the conditioner-assisted water control technology. Results showed that compared to conventional management methods, the rice yield increased by 10.3 percent, and soil pH remained stable above 6.0. Task force members, along with experts and major growers, discussed the advantages and optimization directions of the technology on-site. The task force is aiming to use the recent observation meeting as an opportunity to continue monitoring the practical performance of the management technology in production. That's as well as to strengthen the connection between research and field applications, and develop management plans suitable for local production conditions and easy for farmers to implement. They strive to promote the transition of scientific research achievements from test demonstration fields to the forefront of agricultural production, providing scientific and technological support for the protection and enhancement of farmland quality, stable and increased rice production, and sustainable agricultural development. 

The Liu Gengling acidified farmland management research task force is reportedly one of the first research teams named after senior scientists at the CAAS, established under the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning. The team is focusing on the comprehensive management and quality improvement of degraded red soil in southern China, exploring mechanisms and developing technologies for controlling red soil acidification and enhancing organic matter. The goal is to comprehensively improve the quality of degraded red soil farmland and crop yields in southern China, contributing to the sustainable use of low and medium-yield fields and national food security. The field observation, yield measurement exercise and the seminar are also said to have provided practical evidence for the team to further conduct collaborative research and demonstration promotions in the southern red soil region.