A biotechnology company in Huating town, Shanghai's Jiading district, has developed a new kind of trichoderma, or fungus, that has proven effective in improving the soil.
"In the past, farmers never thought of the long-term protection of soil," said a Shanghai Dajing Biotechnology Co researcher at a vegetable planting base in Huating. Farmers often overused pesticides and chemical fertilizers, which seriously damaged nutrients in the soil, he said. "It's not a small issue because it will lead to salinization, acidification and excess heavy metals in the soil."
At the end of last year, Dajing and Huating town cooperated to use the fungus to "cure" the soil. Trichoderma is an important part of microorganisms in the soil. It has 31 varieties and can resist various pathogenic funguses, bacteria and pests. It's popular abroad, but has not been used by domestic farmers until now.