A breeding research center in Dongying, Shandong province has cultivated high-yield salt-resistant soybean varieties that boast an output of 263.3 kg per mu (0.07 hectare).

In an experimental program, salt-resistant soybean varieties of TZX-1736 and TZX-805 were planted in the saline soil with a salt content of five parts per thousand in the Yellow River Delta.

The expert group led by academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences agreed that the two soybean strains possess salt tolerance and high yield, making this experiment an important achievement in innovation.

China is the world's largest consumer of soybeans. The nation imports 80 percent of its soybeans due to a low yield per unit area and lack of cultivated land, said researchers.

The vast saline-alkali land in the country has attracted the attention of many scientific researchers. According to rough statistics, China has 37 million hectares of saline-alkali land, of which at least 13 million hectares has the potential to be turned into farmland.