Walnut growing expert Zhang Ziqing changes the world with a single walnut
"Walnuts in July, pears in August, persimmons come to market in September." It is now the season when walnuts are coming onto the market in large quantities. At the first Walnut Festival of Mazhuang Town, Feixian County, on August 16 this year, the "Xier" walnut from the Feixian Wenjiang Walnut Research Institute won first prize for its outstanding overall quality! And the director of that walnut research institute is none other than Zhang Ziqing, an entrepreneurial farmer who is only 35 years old this year.
The self-made entrepreneur "soldier brother" returns home to grow walnuts
"On August 16, the first Walnut Festival opened in Mazhuang Town, Feixian County, Shandong Province (China's Walnut Hometown). Our unit (Feixian Wenjiang Fruit and Vegetable Planting Professional Cooperative, Feixian Wenjiang Walnut Research Institute), as one of the main co-organizers of this Walnut Festival, planned carefully and prepared meticulously, winning the favor of walnut merchants from all over the country with our own strength, and also receiving full recognition from leaders at all levels. Among the three walnut varieties entered in this Walnut Festival - Xiangling, Yuanfeng and Xier - our unit achieved an excellent result of one first prize, one second prize and one third prize, ranking among the front runners of the main co-organizers. We wish this Walnut Festival distinctive features, high standards and friendship, and complete success!" "The training at Qingdao Agricultural University really inspired me greatly and I gained a lot! One is never too old to learn. Without professional, high-level theory as the foundation for our development, we would be blind! Learn knowledge well, learn how to conduct oneself, learn how to do things." - Excerpt from Zhang Ziqing's journal.
After graduating from high school, Zhang Ziqing was sent by his family to be tempered in the military. Eight years of military life made his character even more tenacious and persevering. He was repeatedly rated as an "Outstanding Soldier" and once received a third-class merit citation. In 2009, after being transferred from the military, Zhang Ziqing did not report to a unit with better working conditions, but chose to start his own business.
He said, live off the mountain if you live by the mountain. His forebears for generations had all been farmers, but after a lifetime of farming they still could not get out of the mountain around the village. He wanted to lead the villagers in farming together and get rich together! In 2009, Zhang Ziqing single-handedly founded the Feixian Wenjiang Walnut Research Institute and served as its director. In 2010, he also established the Feixian Wenjiang Fruit and Vegetable Planting Professional Cooperative, seeking excellent walnut varieties and leading the villagers together toward a relatively comfortable life.
But everything is hard at the beginning. How could success come so easily? The biggest problem Zhang Ziqing first encountered was that the villagers were not "interested" in the new walnut seedlings he introduced. "My seedlings bear fruit in the same year they are planted, and begin yielding returns in the fourth year. Ordinary seedlings only begin to show returns in the seventh year, but the cost is lower. The common people still have conservative thinking. They would rather spend less money than spend a bit more to buy good seedlings." At that time, farmers did not yet have the awareness of "getting rich through science and technology," which dealt a bit of a blow to Zhang Ziqing, who wanted to make a big effort. But eight years of military life had tempered in him a resilience that never admitted defeat. He realized that to change farmers' old thinking, he had to lead by example and take the lead in planting himself, so that everyone could see the new returns brought by the new variety!
Small walnut, great universe
Do not underestimate this little walnut. Even our Emperor Qianlong wrote a little poem, "Spinning the Sun and Moon in the Palm," praising walnuts. "Spinning the sun and moon in the palm, time seems to flow backward. Blood and qi surge through the whole body; when will the hair turn white?" This little poem vividly captures the wonders of playing with mountain walnuts. Spinning the sun and moon in the palm - what a realm.
Data shows that if China's per capita walnut consumption reaches 1 kg in 2020, based on a population of 1.4 billion, China's walnut demand could reach 1.4 million tons in 2020. This shows that the domestic market for walnut production and sales is very large. It was precisely this business opportunity that Zhang Ziqing had his eye on when he began exploring walnut cultivation.
When talking about walnuts, Zhang Ziqing has endless topics. He said his walnut variety has thinner shells and bears fruit earlier than ordinary walnuts. The kernel is milky white, with a high kernel yield, high oil content and good taste. Although places such as **, Hebei and Yunnan also have a history of planting walnuts, Zhang Ziqing said the Yimeng Mountain area has a wide planting area and relatively many excellent varieties. Feixian County is "China's Walnut Hometown," and the main production area of Feixian walnuts is at Shaoyaoshan in Mazhuang Town. If the planting area in the whole county is about 150,000 mu, then the planting area at Shaoyaoshan alone would be more than 80,000 mu. This is a bluestone mountainous area with a suitable environment and climate. The weakly alkaline soil and the bluestone contain large amounts of minerals and trace elements, giving this place unique advantages for planting walnuts.
In the 6th "Labor Star" vocational skills competition of Linyi City, Zhang Ziqing was selected as an "Outstanding Instructing Teacher." He also received the Revitalize Yimeng Labor Medal, was named a Linyi City Technical Expert, and in April this year the Shandong Provincial Forest Tree Seed and Seedling Association selected Zhang Ziqing as an advanced worker in forest tree seed and seedling work for 2013. The research institute and cooperative created more than 300,000 yuan in profit income for their members and provided a cumulative total of more than 2.6 million high-quality early-fruiting thin-shell walnut seedlings to Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan, Anhui, Hunan, Hubei and other places, strongly promoting the development of the walnut industry. And those who vigorously "rejected" joining the cooperative back then have now all become backbone members of the cooperative. Member Hou Peichang, now over 70 years old, wrote "Ode to the Walnut" for this: "Walnuts are oily and full of fragrance; among the family of fine fruits, they are the strongest. They moisten the intestines, strengthen the brain and can strengthen the kidneys; they nourish and prolong life and regulate yin and yang. Develop according to local conditions; ten thousand mu of green shade rise from barren hills. Experts carefully cultivate them; visitors throng like woven threads in Shaoyao Township."
Agricultural production relies on science and technology
Feixian Wenjiang Walnut Research Institute is a council member unit of the Shandong Forest Tree Seed and Seedling Association, a standing council member unit of the Linyi City Seed and Seedling Association, and also one of the implementing entities of Feixian County's 2013 modern agriculture project. Wenjiang Walnut Research Institute built a 650-mu walnut standard demonstration orchard in Xi'nan Yu Village, Mazhuang Town, planting 21,450 high-quality walnut seedlings, making a positive contribution to promoting the brand building of Feixian County as "China's Walnut Hometown." And at the first Walnut Festival of Mazhuang Town, Feixian County, on August 16 this year, the "Xier" walnut of Feixian Wenjiang Walnut Research Institute led by Zhang Ziqing won first prize for its outstanding overall quality!
As a "modern new-type farmer," Zhang Ziqing is also diligent and eager to learn. He has participated in technical training and theoretical study in related fields, humbly sought advice from fruit tree experts, and carefully studied walnut breeding and high-yield cultivation techniques, as well as the selection and promotion of excellent varieties, integrated control of related pests and diseases, pollution-free green production technology, and development research on deep processing of related products. In order to improve his professional level, he went twice, in 2012 and 2014, to Qingdao Agricultural University to participate in Shandong Province's new-type farmer entrepreneurship training. From theoretical knowledge to extracurricular practice, he broadened his horizons and increased his knowledge, and also got to know and establish cooperative relationships with some skilled agricultural hands from other places.
Having gained expertise, Zhang Ziqing also applied what he learned. Using the knowledge he had acquired, since 2000 his walnut research institute has held 12 sessions of various training classes and related lectures, training more than 600 person-times of research institute members and fruit farmer representatives. He also many times went among the fruit farmers to give door-to-door explanations, and through television, distance education and other channels, more than 100,000 person-times have benefited.
Facing the difficulties encountered in current development, Zhang Ziqing also talked about his own ideas. "What matters most now is scientific research! There are few people doing scientific research in rural areas, and scientific research equipment and funding are in short supply, which makes the cycle from approval to promotion of new varieties very long. And scientific and technological workers who can independently complete new varieties are too scarce. When we want to invite outside experts to come and guide us and pass on some experience, often before the lecture even begins, the cost already gives us a headache. The lack of bases for breeding new varieties is also a current difficulty." Zhang Ziqing said, "But fortunately, through these years of development and growth, some outside merchants have come to the cooperative on their own initiative to propose buying seedlings, so we do not need to worry about sales." As a genuine farmer, Zhang Ziqing also has farmer-like simple wishes and plans. He said, get rich through science and technology. He wants to advance vigorously along the path of modern agriculture. Actively cultivate new fine varieties, strip fruit tree varieties, and increase the intensity of applications. After walnuts are well established, he also wants to develop modern breeding and ecological breeding, absorb surplus rural labor, and during the slack farming season engage in special breeding and standardized breeding, with large-scale operations, bringing more income to farmers, so that everyone can live a good life together.