How does large-scale grain farmer Zhang Zhenlou grow grain?

More than half of the wheat in Hua County has been harvested. Zhang Zhenlou of Xiaotun Village, Wangzhuang Township, harvested 113,000 jin from his 110 mu of wheat. Hua County has more than 50 large-scale grain farmers like him. Zhang Zhenlou says it is the farmers' "three lucky treasures" that made him a large-scale grain farmer.

    Gazing at the golden wheat field before him, Zhang Zhenlou could not hide his joy: "The bumper harvest this year is all thanks to us farming folk's 'three lucky treasures' - first, the Party's good policies; second, a high level of mechanization; third, knowledge of science and technology."

    Zhang Zhenlou, 56 this year, is a man who dares to think and dare to act. The implementation of benefit-farmers policies such as state subsidies for grain farmers, and the state's protective price policy for wheat, have filled him with confidence and hope in growing grain. Some years ago, he contracted 80 mu of land in the village and had a good harvest that very year. Last year, Zhang Zhenlou contracted more than 30 mu of land from villagers who had gone out to work, determined to make a big push.

    Zhang Zhenlou is willing to invest in farming. In his words, big capital brings broad returns. Over the past few years, benefiting from state subsidies, he has invested nearly 150,000 yuan to buy two tractors, one seeder and one small harvester. With these "iron bosses" helping out, production saves both time and effort.

   Science and technology personnel from the county and township helped Zhang Zhenlou become a science and technology demonstration household in the village. He adopted the method of soil testing and formula fertilization, which lowered production costs; adopted scientific disease prevention and management methods, which reduced losses; and the coverage of improved varieties became the key to the bumper harvest. This year the wheat he planted, "Zhengmai 366" and "Aikang 58", has good quality, strong disaster resistance and high yield, with an average yield of more than 520 kg per mu.

    Zhang Zhenlou: "As long as there is a certain set of supporting farm machinery, plus scientific management, some hard work on your own, and together with the state's preferential policies and the protective price for grain, farming is worthwhile for farmers. Our returns are higher, grain yields are high, and we have also contributed to national food security."