Recently, our experts made a "oolong", originally just wanted to plant some wheat in the desert, but who would have thought that this kind would actually grow a grade 1 wheat standard, and at the same time solve a huge problem.
After this success, perhaps the dream of growing crops in the desert will come true in the future!
The desert grows wheat, experts play this time really?
"Experts have 'overturned' on the Internet again!"
This time, however, the experts were not ridiculed for mispredictions or theories that were out of line, but for an "outrageous" operation - growing wheat in the desert.
But what is even more outrageous is that this time the experts actually succeeded, and by the way, they also solved the problem that has plagued the world for many years.
Deserts, which occupy one-fifth of the Earth's land area, have always been a common challenge for mankind.
It may be hard for you to imagine that this desolate, silent land, as if time has stood still, is devouring the home on which humanity depends at an alarming rate.
According to statistics, the world's desert area has exceeded 30 million square kilometers, and the rate of gradual desertification is still expanding.
Drought, water scarcity, land degradation, etc., have posed a huge threat to our living environment and space.
According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), more than 2 billion people are directly threatened by desertification, which costs up to $42 billion in economic losses each year.
As the country with the largest desertification area in the world, China's "barren land" has a huge impact on the mainland, and the area of desert and Gobi is more than 1.2 million square kilometers, reaching one-eighth of the country's land area.
In order to control desertification, the Chinese people have been planting trees and preventing sand fixation on the edge of the desert for decades, and building a green barrier with sweat and youth.
But in the face of the vastness of the desert, these efforts seem insignificant, is it true that human beings are really helpless against this "barren land"?
The "password" for growing food in the desert
Experts know very well that in order to grow food in the desert, it is not enough to rely on blood alone, but also to rely on the power of science and technology and the crystallization of wisdom.
In order to solve the problem of strong mobility and poor water retention of desert land, the expert team racked their brains and finally came up with a "two-plate axe" - "sand fixing and water retention agent" and "increasing organic matter".
"Sand fixation and water retention agent" is like laying a protective net in the desert, which can firmly lock the moisture in the soil, improve the soil structure, and enhance the survival rate of plant seeds.
The purpose of "increasing organic matter" is to replenish nutrients to this "barren land", which is like "dripping" the desert, so that the originally "malnourished" soil can be rejuvenated and provide sufficient nutrients for the growth of wheat.
Of course, it is not enough to have good "hardware", but also to cooperate with "software".
In order to make wheat "thrive" in the desert, experts have sacrificed a "secret weapon" - an advanced "water and fertilizer integration" management model.
This system allows us to better observe the loss of water and nutrients from the soil, so as to achieve accurate irrigation and fertilization according to the growth of wheat, so as to achieve high efficiency without waste.
Solving the "time" and "location", the next step is to "people".
In order to find the most suitable wheat varieties for growing in the desert, experts also visited all parts of the country to find suitable wheat varieties for planting in the desert.
Fortunately, after many screenings, the target was finally locked on the "New Winter 20".
But why did you choose "New Winter 20", it is because it is not only drought resistant, salinity tolerance super ability, but also high yield and good quality, it is simply the "chosen child" born for the desert!
In just two months, 7,000 acres of leveled land were reclaimed in the vast sea of sand, creating conditions for wheat sowing.
Looking at the hard-won "field of hope" in front of them, the experts were full of expectations and apprehensions, for fear that the experiment of planting wheat in the desert would fail.
Soon the time for sowing finally arrived, and the experts carefully sowed the full seeds of "New Winter 20" in the carefully cared for desert soil, hoping that they would take root and thrive in this "barren land".
In order to ensure that the wheat can grow smoothly, the team of experts stays in the test field day and night, recording every subtle change, as if taking care of their own children.
As time passed, wheat seeds grew tenaciously in the desert, from the initial shoots breaking through the soil, to the later jointing, heading, and grouting, each stage touched the hearts of the experts.
As time went on, and it was harvest time, when the experts went to the wheat field, they were shocked by what they saw, and they managed to successfully grow wheat in the middle of the desert.
Unexpected delight
When the experts were excited to harvest the first batch of desert wheat, threshing and weighing, everyone was stunned - the yield per mu was as high as 294 kilograms!
You know, the most optimistic estimate of experts at the beginning was only about 200 kilograms, which exceeded expectations, and it was like a dream!
In addition to the excessive yield, what surprised the experts even more was that the quality of this batch of desert wheat reached the national first-class wheat standard, which the experts did not expect at all.
As the news spread, it immediately attracted widespread attention and heated discussions from all walks of life.
What was once a voice of doubt has become admiration, the once impossible has become a reality, and growing grain in the desert, this seemingly "fantastical" project, has created a miracle in this way!
Just when people were immersed in the joy of the harvest, the experts made a new discovery - the wheat straw left after harvesting wheat turned out to be a "treasure" to improve the desert environment!
The remaining wheat straw is spread on the surface of the desert, which can play a role in preventing wind and fixing sand, thus greatly benefiting the desertification of the land.
After wheat straw decays, it can also be converted into organic matter in the soil, which increases soil fertility, improves soil structure, and creates more favorable conditions for subsequent planting.
In addition to the successful experience of Makati County, experts have also made new breakthroughs in Yache County, Xinjiang, which is not far away.
Here, experts have successfully planted a wheat variety called "Jingmai 183", and the yield has reached an astonishing 700 catties, and at the same time reduced the salinity of the soil, which has become a vibrant grain producing area in this original "hair-wrenching" saline-alkali land.
These unexpected gains have given the experts greater hope: if the experience of growing grain in the desert can be extended to more areas, it will not only increase grain production and ensure national food security, but also improve the ecological environment and promote the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, which will be a great cause for the benefit of future generations.
epilogue
Turning the desert into a granary was once just a beautiful dream, but now, with the progress of science and technology and people's unremitting efforts, this dream is becoming a reality step by step.
In the future, with the cultivation of more crop varieties adapted to the desert environment, as well as the research and development and application of more efficient and environmentally friendly desert agricultural technologies, it is believed that more and more "desert miracles" will be staged in front of our eyes.
At that time, those once desolate and barren deserts will be transformed into green "fields of hope", providing more abundant food and a better home for mankind!
Resources:
1. Shangguan News 2024-6-25 "How to achieve a yield of 294 kg per mu of "desert wheat"? 》
2. Xinhuanet2024-6-16 "What are the Hazards of Desertification"
3. Southern Weekly2024-1-20 "How does saline-alkali land become fertile land?" 》
4. Dazhong.com2024-6-7 "Rizhao Aid Xinjiang Creates Another Miracle!" Successful trial planting of the largest pure desert wheat field in China》