Cold-climate vegetables gain market popularity through scientific and technological research
In August, most parts of the country, from south to north, are experiencing the "barbecue" mode of midsummer, while in Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia, a cool breeze is already blowing, with a distinct early-autumn feel. Due to altitude and latitude, even in July to September, the average temperature here does not exceed 25°C. Climate is also a resource. For example, in recent years, the cultivation of cold-climate vegetables in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, has developed rapidly by taking advantage of the difference in temperature and humidity here compared with the rest of the country during the same period.
Innovative integrated technologies overcome the difficulties of growing cold-climate vegetables
So-called cold-climate vegetables refer to vegetables suitable for summer production in cool-climate regions, mainly including cabbage, Chinese cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, and so on. Because July to September is generally hot across the country, while in high-altitude and high-latitude areas this is exactly the time when cold-climate vegetables grow, they come to market in a different season from vegetables in the south, and their market advantage is self-evident.
Ulanqab City is one of the northern summer cold-climate vegetable bases developed in recent years. In particular, after 2012, when an expert team led by Academician Fang Zhiyuan of the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, established here the country's first academician expert workstation with the cold-climate vegetable industry as its research direction, the development of cold-climate vegetables, mainly cabbage cultivation, made a qualitative leap.
"There are mainly three major problems in cabbage cultivation in our country. First, the promotion of disease-resistant and stress-resistant varieties; second, low efficiency in pest control and large amounts of chemical pesticides; third, low water and fertilizer use efficiency and high labor costs. In recent years, our scientific research and technical demonstrations have mainly centered on these three aspects," introduced Yang Limei, project leader of the "Integrated Technology for Green Yield and Efficiency Increase of Cabbage" at the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
In Caosiyao Village, Xinghe County, Ulanqab City, there is a 100-mu demonstration field for integrated technology for green yield and efficiency increase of cabbage. Three cabbage varieties: Zhonggan 21, Zhonggan 628, and Zhonggan 192 are demonstrated and displayed, and the one growing best is Academician Fang Zhiyuan's "proud work" - Zhonggan 21. Sown on April 20 and transplanted on May 10, after about three months, a field of lush green cabbage can be seen spread out before the eyes, each head tightly packed and beautifully colored.
Guan Huiming, a researcher at the Ulanqab City Science and Technology Bureau and also the local science and technology commissioner of the academician expert workstation, told us that the success of this demonstration field lies first in the good varieties. The Zhonggan series cabbage varieties are resistant to splitting and tolerant of storage and transportation, and have already surpassed the Korean Tietou series. Second, a series of green cultivation techniques for increasing yield and efficiency were adopted, such as solar insect-killing lamps, sex pheromone attractants, biological pesticides, as well as drip irrigation under film and rational close planting. "By combining integrated technologies into a coordinated package, in our demonstration field, the amount of chemical pesticides used was reduced by 30%, irrigation water was reduced by more than 30%, and labor was reduced by more than 20%. The demonstrated varieties increased yield by 8-10% compared with the control variety (Tietou No. 4), and increased value by 300-500 yuan per mu," said Guan Huiming.
Driven by the "Research and Demonstration of an Integrated Model for Green, High-Yield and High-Efficiency Cabbage Technology," cabbage cultivation in Ulanqab alone exceeded 40,000 mu. There are 5 large-scale farmer demonstration areas nearby, each with an area of about 100 mu, and this further radiated to the Zhangjiakou and Chengde areas of Hebei, radiating and driving a total area of 80,000-100,000 mu.
High yield and good quality give farmers a new way to increase income
Cabbage, that is, the round cabbage on our daily dining tables, is often mainly eaten as a cold dish, which places high demands on its texture. At the base of the cold-climate vegetable academician workstation, staff cut open freshly picked "Zhonggan 21" and the local formerly main planted variety, the Korean "Tietou No. 4," for everyone to taste. "Tietou No. 4" had a slight spicy taste, while "Zhonggan 21" was crisper, more tender, fresher, and sweeter. Wang Hanzhong, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said with a smile: "It can be eaten as fruit." Perhaps precisely because of this subtle difference in taste, cabbage varieties bred by our country have become very popular on the market in recent years.
Zhao Lin, a 46-year-old from Chengde, Hebei, was formerly a vegetable seller. In 2003, he began contracting 2,500 mu of transferred land in Caosiyao Village to grow vegetables. Three years ago, he took out 100 mu of land to trial-plant cabbage. At that time, he planted "Zhonggan 11," and last year he planted "Zhonggan 21," with very gratifying results.
"The yield was especially high, reaching nearly 9,000 jin per mu, and the quality was also especially good. Last year, the purchase price reached 1.2 yuan per jin, while other varieties reached at most 0.6 yuan. Most buyers came from Beijing and Tianjin, and some came from as far as Suzhou and Hangzhou and even Guangdong. When they arrived at the field, they directly asked whether there was 'Zhonggan 21,' and no matter how much there was, they took it all. It was wrapped in film, loaded onto refrigerated trucks, and shipped away directly."
Last year was a "big year" for the cabbage market, with farmers increasing both production and income. With the expansion of cabbage planting area, plus abundant rainfall this year, the cabbage in the fields was another bumper harvest, but the price of cabbage seemed to ride a roller coaster. Zhao Lin told reporters: "Two years of huge profits, one year of small profits, one year of breaking even, and one year of losing money while making a show." This is basically the cabbage price cycle. It is understood that this year the field purchase price of cabbage fell to rock bottom, from 1.2 yuan last year to 0.2 yuan now. Regarding this sharp drop, Zhao Lin appeared quite calm. "At a price of 0.2 yuan, for a good variety like 'Zhonggan 21,' it is just enough to cover costs. If this year is not good, we will try again next year. I am still very confident in this kind of high-yield, good-quality variety."
Strengthen technical support to let the industry go further
Developing advantageous industries has been the main approach in recent years for local economic development and poverty alleviation, and the supporting role of science and technology in industrial development has been indispensable. In addition to establishing academician expert workstations and setting up local science and technology commissioner positions, the Institute of Vegetables of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences also uses its professional advantages to provide remote diagnosis, technical training, on-site guidance, and experimental demonstrations around the needs of farmers, farms, and large growers. From promoting new varieties to scientific cultivation management, this has greatly helped improve the quality and efficiency of the industry. But production is one aspect, while the market is another. "We have always been thinking about whether technology guides the industry or the market guides the industry. In fact, neither can be ignored. Our agricultural science and technology have brought farmers a bumper harvest, and we must also help them increase income after the bumper harvest," said Lu Jianzhong, deputy director of the Science and Technology Management Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Chongli District, located in Zhangjiakou City, Hebei, is a famous ski resort in our country. Because the terrain and topography form a long, narrow mountainous area, with cool and short summers, it is also especially suitable for growing cold-climate vegetables. Driving along the mountain road, cabbage is planted on both sides. Su Yuyuan, director of the Vegetable Institute of the Zhangjiakou City Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said proudly: "We have a 10,000-mu cabbage planting belt here. In this climate, no vegetable grows well except cabbage. Local people also rely on growing cabbage to increase their income."
Mazhangzi Village also belongs to this 10,000-mu cabbage belt. This year the cabbage price was poor, so local scientific and technical personnel organized farmers to delay transplanting. Sown in mid-May, by harvest time the purchase price of cabbage had already risen from 0.2 yuan to 0.5 yuan, ensuring no losses.
"Considering the fluctuations in vegetable prices on the market, in breeding we will develop different characteristics in different varieties so that farmers have multiple choices. Zhonggan 21 has good quality, and we also have newly bred Zhonggan 588 and Zhonggan 590. Their characteristic is a long harvest period of up to 25 days, so farmers can adjust supply according to market changes," said Yang Limei. In addition, because the market relatively prefers cabbages weighing about 1-2 jin and small enough to hold in one hand, when guiding farmers in cultivation, scientific and technical personnel also teach them to control water and fertilizer so the cabbages do not grow too large.
"Cold-climate vegetables" is a concept unique to our country, and it also faces the opportunities and challenges encountered in the process of transforming and upgrading the vegetable industry. In the face of the market, scientific research must respect market laws and at the same time use market laws, so that science and technology can play a supporting role.