China transforms desert into arable land using cyanobacteria

mpr21
February 25th 

Chinese researchers are accelerating the stabilization of desert soils. An experimental technology developed in northwest China forms a biofilm in just a few years, compared to more than a decade under natural conditions.

A Chinese scientific team is testing "soil seeds" capable of fixing sand and preparing the ground for vegetation. The experiment is being conducted at the Shapotou Research Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The seeds are based on solid cyanobacteria. Once dispersed on the sand, they reactivate under the effect of rain, aggregate with the grains, and form a biofilm. This layer stabilizes the surface and facilitates plant growth. At Shapotou, the researchers are talking about a game-changer.

Initially, laboratory tests did not withstand desert conditions. Exposed to wind and shifting sands, the cyanobacteria disappeared in less than a week. Inspired by natural mechanisms, the team refined their method. Pressure injection now allows microorganisms to be introduced between the grains of sand, limiting their dispersal and improving their settlement.

The researchers' findings suggest that the biofilm, whose spontaneous formation can take up to fifteen years, could appear in one or two years. The survival rate exceeds 60 percent. Sand stabilization, a process that can take many years, would be reduced to just a few years. These results are still based on experimental trials.

The challenges go beyond simply combating erosion. In many countries, the expansion of arid zones reduces arable land and jeopardizes food production. In Africa and Asia, millions of hectares are being lost to desertification. Restoring soils is a direct way to maintain agricultural production, limit rural exodus, and ensure farmers' incomes.

The technology being tested in China does not aim for immediate transformation into fertile land. It establishes a biological foundation. Pioneer plants can take root on this foundation, paving the way for gradual soil regeneration. Instead of planting trees directly, a strategy often ineffective on unstable dunes, researchers prioritize rebuilding the soil structure. The system has been integrated into the country's northern windbreak forest program. Scientists aim to restore between 5,300 and 6,600 hectares over the next five years. 

Source: https://mpr21.info/china-transforma-el-desierto-en-tierra-cultivable-con-cianobacterias/