Watermelon King Liang Yakuan sent Wenchang watermelon seeds into space twice
When it comes to growing watermelons, Wenchang has a watermelon fanatic known as "Watermelon Kuan." "Watermelon Kuan" is named Liang Yakuan, a native of Jinshan Town, Wenchang. He is the president of the Hainan Province Watermelon Professional Association and chairman of Hainan Wenchang Chuangli Agricultural Company. Through genetic grafting technology, he bred a series of excellent watermelon varieties such as "Chuangli No. 1-9," which won the first prize for transformation of scientific and technological achievements in Hainan, created a watermelon brand well known in Hainan and even across the country, and became a highlight among many industrialized tropical high-efficiency agriculture Guangcai Program projects in Hainan.
Liang Yakuan at work
Liang Yakuan said that Wenchang's sandy soil is of high quality, and its watermelons are famous for excellent varieties, mature technology, fine and crisp flesh, high sugar content and good taste. In May 2005, he sent seeds of 8 watermelon varieties to Beijing by express mail. Subsequently, this batch of watermelon seeds was handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture. After the Ministry of Agriculture contacted the Ministry of Aerospace, the Ministry of Aerospace agreed that watermelon seeds from Wenchang, Hainan would enter space aboard the "Shenzhou VI" spacecraft. In 2011, he also sent 6 varieties of Hainan watermelon seeds weighing 160 grams into space aboard the "Shenzhou VIII" spacecraft.
Liang Yakuan possesses excellent watermelon-growing skills. As early as the 1990s, he established his own company to cultivate seedlings and grow watermelons. At the base of Wenchang Chuangli Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., Liang Yakuan became the "master craftsman" of melon growers in the hometown of overseas Chinese. When to raise seedlings, when to transplant, how to fertilize, how to train the vines, how to protect against cold and preserve seedlings when the weather changes, how to prevent and control pests and diseases... For these questions, "Watermelon Kuan" has all the answers.
"Watermelon Kuan" is like a doctor who "heals the wounded and rescues the dying, benefiting all beings," using his brilliant "medical skill" to rescue "critically ill" patients. Once, after a rainstorm, nearly 200 mu of melon fields belonging to Han Xinding, a villager from Xiaxipo Village in Jinshan Town, were submerged in water. The tender melon seedlings stuck in the ground and could not lift their heads, and Han Xinding watched these seedlings helplessly, not knowing what to do.
Liang Yakuan rushed over. In response to this situation, he proposed measures such as digging ditches for drainage, pruning diseased vines, applying fertilizer promptly and spraying pesticides. After following Liang Yakuan's advice, the melon seedlings soon regained their vitality, grew new roots and sprouted new buds. This melon field not only avoided losses but also earned more income than expected.
In 2007, he took the lead in establishing the Wenchang Watermelon Professional Cooperative and served as its chairman. Liang Yakuan said that establishing a professional cooperative can better organize farmers, unify watermelon planting, management and sales, reduce risks, increase income and lead more farmers to prosperity.
In addition, the watermelon agricultural cooperative adopts a shareholding model, with both the company and farmers participating and dividends distributed according to shares. Liang Yakuan said that the company has technology, management and stable sales channels, while mobilizing farmers to participate greatly expanded the planting area in a short time. The two sides complement each other's strengths and achieve win-win cooperation.
Over the years, no fewer than several hundred melon growers across Hainan have asked Liang Yakuan to serve as an advisor, covering a planting area of several hundred thousand mu. In recent years, Liang Yakuan has also invested more than 10 million yuan, driving more than 50,000 laborers to grow watermelons, with an output value of 500 million yuan and creating taxes and profits of more than 10 million yuan.
In Wenchang, besides "watermelon fanatics" like Liang Yakuan, there are also many melon growers who have grown watermelons for decades. They themselves possess excellent watermelon-growing skills and have even gone abroad to grow watermelons in other countries. Lin Daolong from Changsa Town is one of them.
Lin Daolong is 61 years old this year and has been growing watermelons for 30 years. When he was young, he contracted land to grow watermelons in many cities and counties such as Wenchang, Ledong, Lingshui and Dongfang. Because the cost of planting in Myanmar is half lower than in China, in 2006 Lin Daolong and some melon-growing friends went to Mandalay, Myanmar, contracted large tracts of land and began growing watermelons. After each year's harvest, they sold the watermelons to the domestic market.
Lin Daolong said that Wenchang's soil is fertile, and the yield per mu of watermelons can reach about 8,000 jin, while in Mandalay the yield per mu is 5,000-6,000 jin. However, due to reasons such as cost, he still chose Mandalay for his melon fields. In a foreign land, Lin Daolong carefully manages his melon fields, exchanges watermelon-growing experience with local people, and sometimes guides local people on how to make watermelons taste better and have better quality.