China and Germany have joined forces to plough money into an agricultural research project to find an economical and scientific process to cultivate crops in North China.

Agricultural experts from both countries, who have worked on 17.33 hectares of experimental plot for three years, are searching for a scientific method to improve crop yields, while minimizing environmental pollution.

The capital input of the research is possibly the largest in China. Equipment from Germany alone cost more than 4 million yuan (US$484,000).

The scientists monitor crops cultivated 24 hours a day, and study the utilization efficiency of water, fertilizers and pesticides, as well as their effects on the atmosphere and ground water.

The experts have a preliminary grasp of examining how much nutrients crops need in various periods.

Then they use one-fourth to one-third of fertilizer and pesticide usually used on another plot for contrast. After scientific cultivation, they got the same yield.

The experts pointed out that the over-applied fertilizer and pesticide, seeping into soil or volatilizing to the air was a major pollution source to ground water and the atmosphere.

The scientists are trying to gain a clear idea of what and how much contribution fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide have made and where they go after utilization.

The experts are expected to provide scientific basis for keeping crop yields within the limit that the environment can support, while minimizing environmental pollution.

(People's Daily 10/06/2001)