Corn modernization takes root, yields high (5)

Liu Xiaoran, general secretary with the institute of grain economy in Jilin, believes importing corn will help Chinese farmlands recover from excessive cultivation. Soils in the northeast have thinned by 50 percent during the last half century, according to Liu, who warns that "land productivity in China's corn belt may be irreversibly damaged."

But for farmers like Gu, they hope high-yield corn projects can expand. Gu estimates his crops can earn him 18,500 yuan (2,960 U.S. dollars) more than last year. "The result is so good. I think next year all families in my village will turn to the new seed," he predicts.

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