Conservational tillage area exceeds 1.7 mln hectares in China's Heilongjiang

HARBIN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The conservational tillage area in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has this year exceeded 1.7 million hectares, with the aim to protect rare black soil, according to the provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs.

Black soil is as treasured as the giant panda. The typical black soil area in Heilongjiang Province, known as China's "grain barn," is approximately 10.4 million hectares, accounting for 56.1 percent of northeast China's total black soil area.

Heilongjiang is supporting farmers by equipping them with no-tillage planters through an agricultural machinery purchase subsidy policy. The number of no-tillage planters in the province has climbed to 34,000. Farmers also receive subsidies to motivate them to practice conservational tillage.

The practice of straw recycling and the use of other technologies in Heilongjiang have been recommended as solutions to promote organic fertilizers that protect black soil in China.