CUHK Research: Changing the world

because the soybean can perform nitrogen fixation. It converts atmospheric nitrogen into organic nitrogen which enriches depleted soil and benefits other crops in the same field. By contrast, artificial nitrogen fertiliser is highly energy-demanding and can release nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas whose warming effect is about 300 times that of carbon dioxide. CUHK is working to increase soybean’s nitrogen fixing capacity whilst also reducing the need for fertilisers that can harm the environment and, by increasing particulate pollutants, people. Another reason for the CUHK team’s interest in soybean is its nutritional value. Soybeans, which are 38-40% protein, account for nearly 70% of the world’s plant protein. In poor regions where people are malnourished and cannot afford animal meat, soybeans can provide sufficient protein. Professor Lam started his soybean project in 1997, focusing on the dry, salty province of Gansu in China’s northwest. Seeds from CUHK’s three new cultivars were distributed free of charge to poor smallholder farmers there. By 2022, the cumulative planting area had reached 55,333 hectares, adding about 69 million yuan to local farmers’ income and contributing to poverty alleviation in that region. Sharing discoveries Professor Lam sees his role as bringing together experts in different aspects of life sciences and organising part of their time and effort around research projects that will make an impact. “Soybean is one of them. But I believe our soybean research should radiate to other understudied (‘orphan’) legumes because a single crop cannot save the world. We need diversity, with different crops in different regions, to keep the entire food chain going. “I learned from a mainland colleague that, in agricultural research, a paper is not written in a journal, it’s written on the land. I needed to leap from the laboratory to the land to substantiate my research. The only possible way was through collaboration. “I did genomic studies in collaboration with Shenzhen-based genomics specialist BGI; Professor Zhang Guohong of the Gansu Academy of Agricultural Science did plant breeding and field surveys. We used this unique combination of advanced molecular biotechnology and traditional breeding to solve a real-world problem. During many visits to Gansu, I also drew on the wisdom of farmers planting our seeds.” Overcoming hurdles Finding funds for fieldwork has always been a challenge. “I did receive some scientific research grants, but these were not for direct agricultural application. That’s why I’ve used some of my own salary to kickstart various projects. 59 Tackling the challenges of sustainability