Researchers at Qingdao Agricultural University are developing innovative grass varieties and cultivation techniques to improve agricultural productivity, aviation safety, and environmental protection.

Professor Sun Juan's team has been exploring new uses for alfalfa, a protein-rich forage crop traditionally used as livestock feed.

By managing airport vegetation with alfalfa and other grasses, researchers aim to reduce bird activity and lower the risk of bird strikes. In 2025, about 133 hectares of alfalfa were planted at Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport.

The team has also developed a technique to grow rye during alfalfa's winter dormancy, increasing protein yields by 20 to 30 percent without requiring additional farmland.

Through technical support and demonstration projects, its research has helped expand forage production across more than 133,000 hectares.

Meanwhile, Associate Professor Wu Xueli's team is developing improved turfgrass varieties for coastal parks, sports fields, and ecological restoration. The researchers have bred four experimental lines of seashore paspalum with traits including salt tolerance, cold tolerance, reduced height, and cadmium tolerance.

Qingdao's growing expertise was also highlighted by its hosting of the 2026 International Forage and Turf Breeding Conference, which brought together specialists in grass breeding and genetic improvement.