LHASA, March 29 -- Scientists in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region have developed a new breed of highland barley that will boost the region's grain yield.

The average output of the new breed, "Dongqing No.18," can reach 5,550 kg per hectare, 10 percent higher than that of the common winter highland barley breed, according to the Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences on Wednesday.

The entire growing period for Dongqing No.18 lasts around 270 days.

"During the trial planting period, the breed yielded 8,250 kg per hectare," said Chimed Wangmo, a breeding expert with the academy. "The breed has strong cold-resistant and lodging-resistant capacity, which makes it an advanced new breed."

By the end of 2017, Tibet will grow 13,333 hectares of Dongqing No.18, said Nyima Tashi, head of the academy.

Dongqing No.18 mainly grows at an altitude below 3,700 meters in Lhasa, Qamdo Prefecture and Lhoka Prefecture, and is harvested before the end of July.

Highland barley grows 1,000 meters above sea level on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. People living in the regions of Tibet, Qinghai and Gansu rely heavily on the grain.