China’s Jingmai 189 wheat yields double national average in desert trial

In a surprise breakthrough, a demonstration plot of Jingmai 189 wheat in China’s Taklamakan Desert produced 768kg per mu (about 11.5 tonnes per hectare), nearly twice the national average yield of 399.2kg per mu recorded in 2025. Developed by the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, the variety was specifically bred to withstand drought, saline soil, and nutrient-poor conditions. Researchers described the result as “totally beyond our expectations,” noting that the performance stems from both genetics and the unique interaction with the desert environment.

The success has immediate international implications. Trial cultivation is already underway in Belt and Road Initiative partner countries such as Pakistan and Uzbekistan, where similar arid and saline conditions prevail. If scalable, this method could turn marginal desert land into productive farmland, offering a new weapon against global food insecurity driven by shrinking arable land, accelerating desertification, and climate change.