Lanzhou University, a renowned university in northwest China's Gansu province, has been working on dryland farming and ecological restoration with Kenyan institutions since 2011, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme, China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), and the Ministry of Science and Technology of Gansu province.

The ridge-furrow with plastic film mulching system developed by Chinese researchers has been broadly adopted in Kenya.

In this method, alternate rows of raised ridges and furrows are dug in the field and crops planted on the ridges covered with plastic film. This system improves soil temperature and water infiltration, and sustains water in the soil, reducing evaporation, creating better water and heat conditions for crop growth, said Xiong Youcai, a professor at the College of Ecology, Lanzhou University.

Xiong said the yield and stability of local corn in Kenya have increased continuously since 2022, after the technology was promoted. Major food crops such as corn and wheat have seen an average 90 percent increase in yield while water use efficiency has surged by over 110 percent on average. The two indexes of forage grass have also increased considerably.

If the system is adopted in one-third of the arable land in Kenya, the food produced would be enough to feed the entire population, Xiong said. The calculation is based on tests and observation data from demonstration spots for over 10 years. If the system is promoted nationwide, Kenya could even become a food exporter, Xiong added.

It is no easy achievement. When the Chinese team first arrived in Kenya in 2011, the situation was far different.

Xiong led a team under an international sci-tech cooperation program of MOST. The land they were given to conduct the early tests itself was inimical to agriculture, not to mention the inclement weather. It was a wasteland full of weeds and the soil quality was poor. They had to clear the weeds and remove stones and other objects by hand as well as carry water manually to water the crops they grew.

Wang Yang, a PhD candidate under Xiong, said the conditions are much better now than the team's early days in Kenya, but the current aridity and underdevelopment were still unimaginable.

The team worked day and night. During the day, Wang, for example, would do comparative experiments in the field, doing samplings, measuring and observing, and at night, he would analyze the findings and write his log. The harsh sun dehydrated him and made his lips cracked. He also lost a lot of weight. But he was proud of what they achieved.

The dryland crop their team promoted has a high yield and good quality. But the most important part is the low cost of water usage, Wang said.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Xiong's team's inaugural stint in Kenya. Through cooperation in dryland farming and rural communities, Lanzhou University and African universities have jointly developed technologies and products which are widely adopted in East Africa.