Shandong has successfully completed a pilot project to reclaim saline-alkali land for agricultural use, adding 34,800 mu (2,320 hectares) of new farmland and upgrading 115,900 mu of existing saline soil. This effort has increased annual grain output by an estimated 36.5 million kilograms.

The pilot, launched in Dongying in September 2022 as China's first batch of national pilot cities, covered nearly 180,000 mu across 75 projects. After reclamation, soil salinity in most areas dropped to below 3 parts per thousand, matching the quality of surrounding farmland. In some areas, salt content fell to under 1 part per thousand, with nutrient levels rising significantly.

Dongying developed a set of replicable techniques that combine drainage, desalination, fertilization, and salt‑tolerant crop cultivation. One key innovation – a double‑layer subsurface pipe drainage system – can reduce severe salinity to below 3 parts per thousand within just one to two years. On an 11,000‑mu test field, corn yields reached 550 kg per mu.

Beyond grain production, the city has built four industry value chains focusing on Yellow River Estuary rice, beach sheep, soybeans, and prawns. Its Yellow River Estuary agricultural brand now includes hairy crabs valued at 3.2 billion yuan ($469.81 million) and rice at 1.2 billion yuan.

In recent years, Shandong has selected 26 salt‑tolerant tree varieties and restored over 100,000 mu of coastal ecological land. These efforts are turning "barren land" into a "potential granary" while supporting sustainable agriculture.