Highlights

• Chinese researchers demonstrate 10% growth improvement in tomato seedlings using rare earth-based fertilizers.
• Experimental trials signal China's strategic expansion of rare earth applications beyond traditional industrial sectors.
• The innovation potentially reshapes agricultural technology and challenges global geopolitical dynamics in mineral resource development.

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In a striking example of the Chinese government’s commitment to expanding rare earth applications beyond traditional industrial sectors, Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute’s Tianjin branch (opens in a new tab) has announced promising results from its latest agricultural field trials using rare earth-based fertilizers. According to Chinese state-affiliated media, tomato seedlings treated with these fertilizers have shown 10% greater average plant height, richer foliage, and improved vitality compared to crops grown with conventional fertilizers. The results come from a 65-acre experimental plot in Ninghe District, Tianjin, jointly operated by the research institute and its private-sector partners.

Researchers from the Tianjin branch report that rare earth elements—long used in magnets, clean energy, and defense systems—can also act as biological stimulants in agriculture, enhancing seed germination, root formation, nutrient absorption, stem growth, and chlorophyll production. This spring, rare earth fertilizers were applied directly to seedlings during the planting season.

According to Zhang Chunxia, Director of the Rare Earth Medical R&D Center at the Tianjin lab—as  Rare Earth Exchanges has reported a rising star in research circles in China-- this trial marks a major step in commercializing “rare earth agriculture” as part of China's broader rural revitalization strategy. Plans are underway to expand the use of these fertilizers to staple crops like rice and corn, especially in the North China Plain, with goals of reducing traditional fertilizer usage while increasing crop yields.

This is not China’s first foray into rare earth farming. Prior successes include the use of rare earth fertilizers in apple cultivation in Yantai, strawberry farming in Baotou, and soil remediation in saline-alkali land, reportedly producing rice yields of over 400 pounds per acre. But the Tianjin trials underscore a new level of sophistication, institutional support, and potential for scale-up—backed by Baogang Group, one of China’s largest rare earth conglomerates.

Any Implications?

The U.S. and its allies should not view this development as merely an agricultural novelty—it is a strategic signal. While the West remains focused on rare earths for defense, electronics, and EVs, China is rapidly broadening its rare earth industrial base into agriculture, biotech, and medical sectors. This reflects a long-term strategy to embed rare earths deeper into China’s domestic economy and global value chains, turning raw material advantage into multi-sector dominance.

Under President Donald Trump’s revived 2025 tariffs and escalating trade restrictions on Chinese minerals, innovations like this represent a counterstroke. Of course, the Chinese have retaliated against America in what absolutely looks to be a direct trade war at this point.

However, this recent breakthrough represents yet another example of how China is working furiously to introduce value-added innovation associated with the rare earth complex.

By diversifying rare earth applications across civilian sectors, China can potentially strengthen rural development and insulate its rare earth industry from export volatility. If successful, rare earth agriculture could also shape global agri-tech markets, raising questions about U.S. farming, food security, and geopolitical competitiveness.

The U.S. must ask: Do we have a rare earth strategy beyond defense and clean energy? An even deeper question is: Are we ready for industrial policy in this sector? 

What role could rare earths play in sustainable farming, food productivity, and soil regeneration? And are we prepared for a world where China not only controls the supply—but also sets the standard for rare earth applications in life sciences and agriculture?