Zhang Dongda, a retired soldier from Changting: Veterans will not fade to promote the development of the half-maple lotus industry

In late autumn, in the Zimu Ecological Family Farm Banmaple Lotus Seedling Base located in Changqiao Village, Xuancheng Township, Changting County, the saplings grow happily and full of vitality, and the young leaves that have just emerged are clear and green under the sunlight. Liu Jiali from the county nursery is giving technical guidance on the current growth of half-maple lotus seedlings and investigating the situation of half-maple lotus hanging fruits.

[Liu Jiali, director of Changting County Nursery: He is the first in Changting County to carry out the cultivation of semi-maple lotus. From the cultivation situation in the past two years, the growth is gratifying, and our forestry department will continue to pay attention to it and give technical guidance, hoping that through him can drive the development of the semi-maple industry in the county and help rural revitalization. 】

During the interview, the reporter learned that Zhang Dongda's father and grandfather were both soldiers and were a "family of soldiers", and under their influence, in the fall of 1979, Zhang Dongda walked into the barracks, became a member of the special engineering army, and retired from the army and returned home in 1983. After retiring from the army, he has started a business many times, with ups and downs. In 2009, Zhang Dongda founded the "Changting County Zimu Ecological Family Farm" to develop Nanjiang yellow sheep, Tibetan fragrant pigs, turkeys and other breeding, and soon grew from a "layman" to an expert in breeding, and relied on this, spending more than ten years to study the cultivation technology of semi-maple lotus seedlings.

[Zhang Dongda, retired soldier of Xuancheng Township, Changting County: After more than ten years, breeding is for survival, there is a little economic income, and then I focus on cultivating this seedling, because this seedling seed is wild and cannot be reproduced naturally, then we have spent a lot of money through more than ten years of exploration, and now we have successfully cultivated semi-maple lotus seedlings. 】

According to Zhang Dongda, this peculiar tree is called Semimaple Lotus, a new genus of oligogenus plants in the witch hazel family, which is a national second-class protected plant. It is still in mountainous areas between 180 and 1100 meters above sea level, which is seriously damaged by man-made damage, and natural renewal is not easy, and there are few preserved plants. Zhang Dongda introduced that the semi-maple lotus cultivated through the seedling technology has good disease resistance, good tree shape and easy survival. At present, the base has cultivated more than 100,000 saplings per year, and there are more than 200 trees with a chest diameter of 20 cm in the base, and this year it has also achieved 300 jin of hanging fruit, which is expected to produce about 2 kg.

Zhang Dongda, a retired soldier from Xuancheng Township, Changting County: Now it is very successful, the seeds I sown this year have now reached about one meter, and this disease resistance is very strong, and the ornamental value and medicinal value are also very high. And it is also evergreen and does not lose leaves. 】

The economic benefits of half maple lotus are more than 3 times that of ordinary flower seedlings, the gap between domestic supply and demand is large, and the market prospects are promising. In the next step, Zhang Dongda plans to drive surrounding farmers to carry out large-scale planting of semi-maple lotus, accelerate the breeding and promotion of semi-maple lotus seeds, and promote industrialized operation.

Zhang Dongda, retired soldier from Xuancheng Township, Changting County: The next step is to prepare to expand the scope, develop and promote the people to plant as much as possible if they have a place to grow, and if there is a way, they can make their own semi-finished products for processing. 】

While developing his own industry, Zhang Dongda also acts as a technical instructor, passing on the farming and breeding techniques he has learned and the experience he has summarized to the villagers without reservation. From retired soldier to entrepreneur, although the role has changed, Zhang Dongda still maintains his true character as a soldier, is a pioneer in rural revitalization, and contributes to the development of his hometown with practical actions.

Zhang Dongda, a retired soldier from Xuancheng Township, Changting County: I have worked hard outside for many years and learned something in the army, so after we return, we will introduce new species and varieties from outside to drive the people to get rich and develop together. 】

(Zhu Fangbin, correspondent: Chi Jie)