A symposium on the topic of black soil protection, sustainable utilization and management was held in Harbin, Heilongjiang province on Sept 10.

It attracted the participation of around 300 scholars and experts from 20 countries and regions, including those from America, Ukraine, Russia, Brazil and Argentina.

Experts explained that land containing black soil has the highest fertility and the most agricultural productive potential and is best suited for farming. The Mississippi River Basin, the Ukrainian steppes and the Harbin region of Northeast China are the only three regions on earth containing a high amount of black soil.

These days lands containing black soil are shrinking and the fertility of black soil is decreasing due to over-exploitation and mismanagement. Black soil protection and management are of growing importance to sustainable grain production.

Because of this pressing situation, proposals on establishing global black soil land protection areas, black soil data centers, black soil cooperation platforms and innovative mechanisms were tabled and discussed at the symposium.

The proposals were supported by Ronald Vagas, general secretary of the global soil department of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Professor Marcos Esteban Angelini, director of the Argentine Soil Institute; Ademir Fontana, chief soil expert from Brazilian Embrapa Agriculture Research Center; Zhang Fusuo, academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Professor Ke Bingsheng from China Agricultural University.

Experts and scholars expressed their hopes that countries worldwide could unite to protect black soil, preserving fertile land and living space for future generations.

International Symposium on Black Soil takes place in Harbin, Heilongjiang province on Sept 10. [Photo/people.cn]

Around 300 scholars and experts from 20 countries and regions, including those from America, Ukraine, Russia, Brazil and Argentina, attend International Symposium on Black Soil in Harbin, Heilongjiang province on Sept 10. [Photo/people.cn]

Liu Di, Party Secretary of Heilongjiang Provincial Agriculture Science Institute, delivers a speech at the International Symposium on Black Soil in Harbin, Heilongjiang province on Sept 10. [Photo/people.cn]