How can growing new varieties break through technical bottlenecks?

Ye Qing Family Farm in Quanwang Town, Qujiang District, is like a hundred-fruit orchard. In each greenhouse, various fruits are grown, including grapes, watermelons, Hami melons, white loquats, bayberries, blueberries, peaches, red-fleshed pomelos, dragon fruits, pineapples and more, totaling over 400 mu.

In one of the greenhouses, mandarin orange seedlings are planted, only 20 to 30 cm tall.

"Planted at the end of last year, growing slowly." On July 5, Yan Jufei, who manages the farm, said somewhat anxiously in the greenhouse.

The variety of these mandarin orange seedlings is "Ehime 28," which has a vivid name called "Red Beauty." For these "Red Beauty" plants, Yan Jufei and the farm employees poured in great effort and placed great hopes on them.

In October last year, Yan Jufei went to Hangzhou to attend grape-growing technical training, and learned about the "Red Beauty" variety from peers. "I listened and thought it was quite good." So she went to a mandarin orange orchard for an on-site inspection. She saw with her own eyes that the fruits hanging on the trees were large and beautiful, tasted very sweet and tender, and could sell for 60 yuan per kg.

Starting in 2012, Yan Jufei went to Quzhou to grow fruits. She knew the quality and production and sales situation of Quzhou mandarin oranges. Therefore, these characteristics of "Red Beauty" immediately attracted her.

Yan Jufei cleared out the greenhouses that originally grew vegetables such as eggplants, green beans and cucumbers, purchased "Red Beauty" mandarin orange seedlings at 20 yuan each, and planted 30 mu.

Although all are fruits, different fruits have different technical requirements. Local employees did not understand the cultivation techniques for the new mandarin orange variety, and hiring professional technicians was too expensive. "Hiring a technician costs 140,000 yuan in annual salary, which we cannot afford." Yan Jufei had no choice but to keep exploring on her own.

"Someone told me to apply more organic fertilizer when planting. Now it seems that the slow growth of the mandarin orange seedlings is related to this." Yan Jufei said that through observation she found that these fertilizers damage the roots, the roots cannot grow out, and naturally the mandarin orange seedlings cannot grow large.

Yan Jufei is very eager to learn. Whenever she encounters a problem, she asks around everywhere. She said that as long as one is willing to learn, there is always someone willing to teach. Moreover, Quzhou's promotion of the transformation and development of the mandarin orange industry gave her confidence in growing mandarin oranges, and she also saw business opportunities in it.

In the second half of this year, Yan Jufei plans to pull out the more than ten mu of grapes of not-so-good quality and switch to planting "Red Beauty." "Next time with experience, when planting, just apply phosphate fertilizer, and after the roots grow well, then slowly apply organic fertilizer." With the root problem solved, Yan Jufei worries that she does not know which planting step will cause problems later. Waiting until problems arise and then exploring solutions will delay time.

"My husband also wants to contract mountain land to grow mandarin oranges and is currently negotiating with farmers." Yan Jufei said the plan is still to grow new varieties. As for the specific variety and what techniques are needed, she still has to explore slowly on her own.

Large growers are consciously transforming. What about the surrounding mandarin orange farmers who grow scattered plots? This is what Yin Shuigen, an agricultural technician in Quanwang Town, is considering. During this period, he has been tallying the area of land with dead mandarin orange trees in various villages. "Encourage farmers to make use of the mandarin orange tree land. Next, plant rice beside rice paddies, and plant dryland crops such as soybeans, corn and sesame beside dryland."

Yin Shuigen said that in the second half of the year, mandarin orange seedlings can be replanted once. As for what variety to plant and whether farmers are willing to plant, he is not sure either.