These four models are collectively referred to as the Longjiang Model, which has effectively addressed the issue of black soil degradation across the province.

"Through these methods, the thickness of the plow layer in the demonstration area has stabilized at around 30 cm, organic matter has increased by 2-3 grams per kilogram and crop yields have increased by over 10 percent," Jia said.

"Land management is a long and complex process that requires collective efforts to further pass these methods to the farmers. We must adhere to the combination of land use and land conservation," he said.

Regarding the outstanding achievement award, Jia said: "This is a collective honor. The restoration of black soil involves multiple disciplines such as agricultural machinery, soil science, fertilizers and plants, reflecting the collaborative efforts of outstanding researchers in various fields. The cooperation is something that Chinese scientists can be proud of."

According to data from the CAS, the black soil restoration team has established dozens of demonstration areas in Northeast China and has promoted methods to increase soil organic matter content to millions of farmers, improving 173 million hectares of farmland.

Shi Yudie contributed to this story.

yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn