China has achieved a world record-breaking peanut yield, marking a significant milestone in the country’s ongoing efforts to bolster food security. The breakthrough occurred in a research field located in the eastern province of Shandong, with a reported yield of 12,980 kilograms (28,600 pounds) per hectare.
Researchers from the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS) dedicated over two decades to enhancing peanut yields. This remarkable yield, attained from a 4-hectare (10-acre) field, surpasses the national crop average by 3.4 times, which stands at 3,780 kilograms per hectare, according to Tang Song, the director of economic crop technology at the National Agro-Tech Extension and Service Centre.
The achievement underscores China’s steadfast commitment to food security, which has been further emphasized by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his recent tour of Heilongjiang province. Xi emphasized the importance of advancing science and technology in agriculture to strengthen the nation’s food security, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Tang Fengshou, an expert in yield measurement from the Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, noted that the yield record had remained stagnant for eight years before this groundbreaking achievement. The previous world record, also credited to SAAS, stood at 11,700 kilograms per hectare in 2015.
One of the innovations contributing to this achievement was SAAS’s “single-seed precision sowing” method, introduced in 2001. This technique involves planting one peanut seed per hole instead of the customary two seeds per hole, addressing concerns related to seed quality that had led farmers to adopt the “double-seed” method.
China’s success in achieving this remarkable peanut yield is a testament to its unwavering commitment to enhancing food security and agricultural innovation.
