Focus on Arts and Ecology

Guangzhou Daily reports that Chinese researchers recently completed a test of rice cultivation in Dubai. The project began in January and brought together experts from China, India, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and other countries to estimate the production capabilities of rice grown in Dubai’s tropical desert conditions. After five months, the trial had impressive results, with the most successful experiment yielding 33 kilograms per hectare, and two others 27 kilograms each. Yuan Longping, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and leader of the project said the results exceeded expectations. The researchers hope that this more durable variety will help countries improve food security and protect the environment in desert regions. Yuan’s team has been testing the rice variety in China’s coastal areas.