The academy has also developed a new soybean variety called Bao Dou 10, which has 43.46 percent protein and is popular among bean product processing corporations. Another new soybean variety, Bao Dou 1519, set a record of yielding 301.8 kilograms per mu (0.06 hectare).

"We aim to develop varieties that are high-yielding and favored by farmers," said Qu Yang, deputy director of the millet crops institute at the academy, adding that they've set up a service team to provide farmers with on-demand technical support via online platforms to boost their earnings.