Cutting-edge technology for soybean breeding in southern China lands on the black soil of Northeast China

China News Service, Harbin, October 7 (Shi Yifu, Xu Xiaotian) On October 7, the 2026 soybean autumn production observation and measurement event was held at the Acheng Experimental Practice Base of Northeast Agricultural University. Scientific research experts gathered in the field and collaborated to explore a replicable model of high-yielding soybeans in black soil. The yield of several new strains exceeded 350 kilograms per mu.

This event was co-sponsored by Yazhou Bay National Laboratory, China Agricultural University, Northeast Agricultural University Soybean Innovation Research Institute, etc. It aims to systematically test the implementation results of soybean scientific research in 2026, scientifically evaluate the comprehensive performance of varieties and integrated cultivation technology models, accumulate field phenotypic and yield measured data, and explore the formation of a high-yield soybean cultivation technology model in Northeastern black soil that is replicable and promoteable.

In the AI-enabled agricultural experimental area, unmanned equipment shuttles across the fields to collect crop phenotypic data and accumulate real-life samples for the "Fengdeng" large AI breeding model. Multiple sets of variety test yield data have been released one after another, and the measured yield of many new strains has exceeded 350 kilograms per mu.

Song Shuhong, leader of the yield measurement expert team and researcher at the Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, reported the actual harvest results on site. “The participating varieties have outstanding performance in high yield under different cultivation modes, confirming the potential of synergy between improved varieties and supporting cultivation technologies.” He suggested that the scientific research team continue to work on key problems to further explore the space for increasing soybean production.

Zhao Chuanjiang, deputy director of the Basic Research and Laboratory Division of the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology, said that the Yazhou Bay National Laboratory’s “southern research and northern breeding” layout promotes the application of southern breeding cutting-edge technologies to the black soil of Northeast China. The local government will continue to support the construction of the platform, open up the industry-university-research chain, and break the bottleneck of high-yield soybean technology.

Chen Qingshan, vice president of Northeast Agricultural University, said that the Acheng Farm experimental field is an important position for the transformation of scientific research results. The follow-up team will rely on this field measurement data to continue to breed density-tolerant and high-yielding soybean varieties, integrate supporting cultivation technologies, and use black soil scientific research and practice to help revitalize the national seed industry and food security.