2. Climate and geographic condition

Nanpi station represents the types of saline soil area with water deficiency around Bohai Sea . Most of soil is desalinized Chao soil, some of that is coastal saline soil along Bohai gulf. The altitude is below 20 meters. The climate is sub-humudity monsoon climate. The annual mean precipitation is about 400 -500 mm , surface evaporation is 1900 -2200 mm , total solar radiation is 559.36 KJ/cm 2 .y, accumulated temperature above 10 ℃ is 4300 ℃ . Water shortage and soil salinization are the major abiotic factors for the sustainable development of agriculture.

3. Objectives

For the sustainable development of agriculture and the construction of coastal economic society in saline and water deficient area of Bohai Gulf , the objectives of the Station are:

•  Monitoring the agri-eco system and environment

•  Studying the thoery and technologies of high efficient utilization of water and soil resources

•  Demonstrating the modern agricultural technologies

4. History

In 1982, according to the “construct modern agricultural model country” advised by province government, the testing area was founded in Nanpi county. In 1983, the institute got the support from Ministry of Science and Technology and Chinese Academy of Sciences to conduct the research on the reclamation of low yield farmland in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. Since then, the institute has taken the researches for 20 years. In order to conduct the projects efficiently and service the development of regional agriculture well, in 1986, the governments of Cangzhou City and Nanpi County suggested to found Nanpi Eco-Agri. Experimental Station. In 1987, Chinese Academy of Sciences approved to found the Station.

5. Facilities

6. Tasks and Achievements

More than 30 projects, from national government, international organization, local governments and CAS, have being undertaken in the Station during the past 20 years, such as the reclamation of saline soils, improvement of biomass production in saline soil area, introduction of salt and drought tolerant species etc. Some national achievements were awarded to the Station, such as the National Special Award for Development of Science and Technology by the Chinese Central Government, the First Award for the Development of Science and Technology by Hebei Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences etc. More than 300 papers were published in national and internal journals, 6 monographs were bublished by national press company, and 3 patents were ratified by the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China . Moreover, the Station provides consultation for the central and provincial government. By the great effort of researchers in Nanpi Station, the saline area has been changing greatly.

At present, the national 863, k nowledge innovation program of CAS , key research project of Hebei Province , international cooperation program etc. focused on the high efficient utilization of soil and water in saline and water deficient area, have been conducting in the Station.

Due to the achievements, the former presidend of CAS, Professor Zhou Guangzhao, vice-president of CAS, Li Zhensheng, Sun Honglie, Hu Qiheng; the former governor and vice governor of Hebei Province, Mr. Niu Maosheng and Li Feng etc. have visited the Station.

7. Cooperations

Since the foundation of Nanpi Station, it has been cooperating with more than 10 research institutes and universities, such as Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Hebei Agricultural University, Shandong Agricultural University, Xi'an University of Techology, China Agricultural University, Hehai University, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Science, Hebei Academy of Forestry Science, Cangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Cangzhou Institute of Forestry Sciences etc. Furthermore, international cooperation and exchanges are successfull with international science and technology communities, such as Japan , Australia , Germany , the United State of America , Israel , Pakistan etc. International cooperation has made significant contributions to the improvement of science and technology standards, upgrading of experimental conditions, exchange of information and beneficial to local economy development.

8. Education and Training

More than 200 persons worked in Nanpi station over 20 years, of whom, 6 persons became leader of CARR, 5 persons have engaged in local governmental. At the same time, the station have been training more than 20 graduate students at home and abroad, training more than 30 agricultural technicians. The researchers, who engaged in the station, own “May 4 th ” Younth Medal of Hebei province, Hebei outstanding agricultural science and technology workers, spark technologically advanced countries workers, Zhenhua anti-poverty award from ministry of science and technology etc. Currently, there are 8 students to pursue their master's and doctoral degree in the Station.

9. Consulant and Service

During the past 20 years, Nanpi station actively services to local economic construction and agricultural development. We provided the proposal on the agricultural development planning of YunDong area in Cangzhou city, organized the first international symposium on halophyte utilization and sustainable development of regional agriculture, advised development proposals of local grazing, jujube and high-quality wheat in the area, reported the occurrence of lygus lucorum in Bt cotton field to central government etc. The Station also founded two testing arear on the knowledge transfer in Nanpi county and Haixing County, known as Garden of Spark Technology Experts to help local government introducing technical and financial using talents and technology advantages. Recently, the Station is leading the development of coastal modern agriculture and protection of coastal environment .

10. Future Works

In order to meet the demands of building a strong coastal province in economy and social development of Hebei province and the Knowledge Innovation Program of CAS, Nanpi Station will reinforce the following works:

•  establishing and improving the research and monitoring facilities, upgrade the research level successively, including to build automatic weather observation station, soil moisture and salinity observing system, soil freeze and melt system, positioning soil salinity experimental plots etc.

•  expanding research field and reinforcing demonstration of modern agricultural technologies. Conducting the researches on coastal agriculture and ecological environment, biomass production in saline soils, new theory on saline soil utilization etc.

•  strengthening the collaboration with national and international research institutions on the saline soil utilization and new agricultural resources.

•  Better servicing the development of local agriculture and economy based on the advantagement of experts, technologies and information in Nanpi station.

The final target is building the Nanpi Station as an important base for the study of coastal ecological agriculture.

Contacting Address: 286 Huaizhong Road , Shijiazhuang , Hebei 050021, P. R. China

Post Code: 050021

Tel: 86-311-85871748 Fax: 86-311-85815093

E-mail: xjliu@ms.sjziam.ac.cn