At the end of November, Beijing has entered winter, and the farmland under the western mountains has entered the stage of agricultural leisure. In early autumn, the wheat planted by teachers and students has emerged, and the green seedlings have been watered with winter water to prepare for wintering. In the garden, teachers and students of the College of Agriculture are transplanting wheat seedlings, from the laboratory to the field, and this batch of wheat with pink labels will contribute key experimental data to the study of disease resistance. This is the Shangzhuang Experimental Station of China Agricultural University located in Xixinlitun Village, Shangzhuang Town, Haidian District, Beijing, and it is also a place where citizens can have close contact with top agricultural technology.
Agriculture is different from others, in the inheritance of generations of farming culture, more or less with some "popularization" attributes, generation after generation of agricultural technology, taking root in the vast land. In 2004, the Shangzhuang Experimental Station of China Agricultural University was established, and over the past 18 years, it has disseminated agricultural science and technology to farmers in the surrounding areas and even the whole country, and also popularized agricultural knowledge to a wider range of citizens.
Thanks to years of public welfare science popularization, not long ago, the Shangzhuang Experimental Station of China Agricultural University was rated as the first batch of agricultural culture practice camps in China. The Beijing News reporter learned from the on-site visit that relying on the advantages of agricultural research and other resources of China Agricultural University, here, citizens can not only understand the past and present life of farming, but even see what future agriculture looks like.
Teachers and students of the College of Agronomy of China Agricultural University transplanted wheat seedlings at the Shangzhuang Experimental Station. Photo by Beijing News reporter Geng Ziye
The strength of the experimental station to build an agricultural power
In the report of the 20th National Congress, the work of the three rural areas appeared frequently, and the report mentioned "comprehensively promoting rural revitalization", "consolidating the foundation of food security in an all-round way", "accelerating the construction of an agricultural power" and "Chinese-style modernization". Closely related to this, the Shangzhuang Experimental Station of China Agricultural University presents more possibilities for future agriculture.
As the closest comprehensive experimental station in Beijing, China Agricultural University Shangzhuang Experimental Station fully implements the fundamental task of cultivating virtue and cultivating people, serving the cultivation of top-notch innovative talents and agricultural science and technology innovation, the person in charge of Shangzhuang Experimental Station of China Agricultural University introduced to reporters that as a teaching auxiliary institution directly under China Agricultural University, Shangzhuang Experimental Station is also an important source of innovation for the construction of "seed capital" and Beijing National Modern Agricultural Science and Technology City, especially the breeding research of high-quality and improved seeds of major national grain crops. The experimental station is committed to improving the improvement of high and stable grain yield and ensuring national food security.
Service breeding is one of the important tasks undertaken by the experimental station, which has a special breeding plot where teachers and students carry out the breeding of new varieties every year. The experimental station farmland is distributed on both sides of Baishui Wa Road in Xixinlitun Village, different from the large field plot in the village, covering an area of 1240 acres, the farmland is divided into different small plots, finely planted with a variety of experimental varieties, corn, wheat, cotton, soybeans, cabbage, olive vegetables and Chinese medicinal materials, etc., the experimental fields are scattered.
The reporter saw in a small field in the test site that there were different labels on the crops, and if it were not for the professional, without these marks, it was almost impossible to see the difference. Crop cultivation of new varieties, different from other fields, the breeding cycle is long, the cultivation of a new variety often takes a long time, the breeding scientific research work carried out in the experimental station, is leading the development of national agricultural science and technology.
A harvest festival is held in the camp
In the first batch of agricultural culture practice camps, it was mentioned that the farming culture practice camps will promote the harvest and thrift of Chinese farmers into popular customs. Previously, the Shangzhuang Experimental Station of China Agricultural University proposed and held the "National Modern Agricultural Science and Technology Harvest Festival" for the first time, "focusing on agricultural science popularization and promoting the transformation of science and technology", adding scientific and technological content to the traditional farmers' harvest season.
In October 2019, the "National Modern Agricultural Science and Technology Harvest Festival" was held in Shangzhuang Experimental Station. At the scene, many scientific research achievements patents and new agricultural products and new technologies from agricultural and forestry universities and enterprises and institutions across the country were unveiled in a concentrated manner, integrating science and technology into the harvest season, showing the advanced achievements in the field of scientific research of agricultural and forestry universities.
Agriculture and forestry universities are think tanks for the high-quality development of agriculture, and the base of scientific and technological achievements of mainland agricultural and forestry universities is large. Shangzhuang Experimental Station proposed at the National Modern Agricultural Science and Technology Harvest Festival that only technologies that can be transformed into mature products and achieve large-scale application are veritable scientific and technological achievements. The "National Modern Agricultural Science and Technology Harvest Festival" is precisely to try to awaken the "sleeping" scientific research achievements, relying on the scientific and technological achievements of mainland agricultural and forestry universities, jointly build a national agricultural and forestry university scientific and technological achievements publicity, promotion and transformation trading platform, and is committed to making more scientific and technological achievements "used".
"At that time, China Agricultural University, together with more than 20 agricultural and forestry universities across the country, built such a platform, led by science and technology, to display advanced agricultural achievements, and at the same time provide more accurate services according to the needs of farmers." Li Yanming, deputy director of the Shangzhuang Experimental Station of China Agricultural University, said that at the National Modern Agricultural Science and Technology Harvest Festival, new varieties such as grapes, figs and kiwifruit were sampled, as well as advanced drones, sensors, and the Internet of Things were displayed and communicated on site.
Li Yanming told reporters that at present, due to the epidemic, the "National Modern Agricultural Science and Technology Harvest Festival" is temporarily suspended, and if conditions permit, the experimental station hopes to continue the "National Modern Agricultural Science and Technology Harvest Festival" and continue to promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements in national agricultural and forestry universities.
Expert professors do science popularization in the field
At the beginning of spring this year, more than 90 national scientific research projects, such as pesticide field efficacy experiments, upland rice field experiments, and maize variable fertilization research, have landed in Shangzhuang Experimental Station, and this number has shown an increasing trend in recent years. Li Yanming told reporters that these experimental projects are all explorations in the frontier field of agricultural science and technology.
Drought is one of the main adverse factors restricting agricultural production, as a staple food crop in the mainland, rice planting irrigation water accounts for more than 70% of the total agricultural water consumption, which is extremely unfavorable to the sustainable development of mainland agriculture. Therefore, the discovery of excellent drought resistance genes of upland rice is of great significance for the molecular breeding of drought resistance in rice cropping. In July this year, the team of Professor Li Zichao of the College of Agronomy of China Agricultural University discovered DROT1, a new drought-resistant gene in upland rice, and published relevant research papers online in the internationally renowned comprehensive academic journal Nature Communications.
Behind this major research result are field experiments accumulated by experts and professors for many years. Since 2004, Professor Li Zichao has planted rice and upland rice at the Shangzhuang Experimental Station and carried out related research work. At present, the DROT1 gene discovered by Professor Li Zichao's team has obtained a national invention patent and has been identified by the Ministry of Agriculture as a gene with great breeding value.
"The experimental station supports more than 100 projects every year, and more than 100 researchers carry out teaching and scientific research work at the station, including academicians and other top scientists in the field of agriculture." Li Yanming introduced that such major scientific research projects and top masters have provided strong teachers for the experimental station to carry out agricultural science popularization and labor education.
Li Yanming said that when teachers and students spread agricultural technology, they are themselves doing popular science. Farming education lets the public know that farming is the foundation of the country, and the dedication and affection of teachers and students to the farmland can be seen, and when children see professors and even academicians working hard in the farmland, they will be educated and inspired, and some children will even like agriculture.
Zero barrier access to cutting-edge agricultural technology
On November 19, Zou Dongyun of Shangzhuang Experimental Station of China Agricultural University received new fig varieties from teachers and students of the experimental station, which was the last batch of figs harvested by the team of Ma Huiqin, professor of the Department of Pomology, College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University. Zou Dongyun said that the experimental station should not only assist teachers and students to serve experimental projects well, but also protect these scientific research materials.
A new variety of fig bred by the Ma Huiqin team. Photo by Beijing News reporter Geng Ziye
Early in the morning, Ma Huiqin took the laboratory team students to the Shangzhuang Experimental Station to carry out the final preparations for the wintering of fruit trees, watering winter water, stone sulfur compound, and Mongolian greenhouse insulation quilt.
As winter approaches, the grape and fig harvest ends, and this is the last time teachers and students come to the experimental station this year, after which the trees will also enter a "dormant period". Teachers and students will spend more time in the laboratory to carry out molecular biology experiments and evaluate fruit varieties.
From May and June when the fruit trees germinate and bloom, the busy farming of the laboratory teachers and students will continue throughout the summer and autumn until the fruit on the trees is picked. In the team, more than 20 graduate students are involved in the basic science of gene function research in the laboratory, the cultivation of new fig and grape varieties, and the creation and improvement of cultivation methods for new varieties.
Song Miaoyu, a postdoctoral fellow at the station, has been studying strawberries during his master's degree and grapes and figs during his doctorate, and he is no less good than the boys in the team. Song Miaoyu said, "A high-quality variety, from the early cross-breeding screening, to the final promotion and marketing, it takes at least three or five years." ”
In the experimental station, the grapes and figs cultivated by the Ma Huiqin team are new varieties that cannot be seen on the market, and these breeding research is at the leading level. In the grape greenhouse, more than 50 grape varieties are also planted, and different varieties are marked with different numbers, among which the grape variety with the number "5" is the red pulp grape variety cultivated and evaluated by the team after years of experimentation by teachers and students. Song Miaoyu said, "This is our characteristic variety, high anthocyanin content, stronger aroma, is currently undergoing new variety approval, with new variety rights will be promoted in the market." ”
At present, figs in the development of the market, the demand for new varieties tends to be shelf-stable and transport-resistant, and the team has also developed new varieties in this regard. In Weiyuan County, the hometown of figs in Neijiang City, Sichuan Province, Ma Huiqin and his students regularly visit the local area to teach farmers how to grow figs. As the team's scientific work progressed, the technical knowledge of grape and fig cultivation was transmitted and used in more and further places.
Dialogue with Li Yanming, deputy director of Shangzhuang Experimental Station of China Agricultural University
As one of the first batch of agricultural culture practice camps in China, what are the characteristics of Shangzhuang Experimental Station of China Agricultural University relying on the advantages of agricultural universities to carry out science popularization activities? What channels do citizens have to participate in popular science activities? To this end, the Beijing News reporter sorted out some of the content about the experimental station as an agricultural culture practice camp, and the following is an interview with Li Yanming, deputy director of the Shangzhuang Experimental Station of China Agricultural University:
Beijing News: What are the characteristics of the experimental station to carry out science popularization activities?
Li Yanming: The experimental station has done science popularization activities, and the scientific and technological component is a little more. The agricultural frontier scientific research experiments carried out by teachers and students in the experimental station can be really seen here, and there are breeding experiments and varieties comparison experiments, which are difficult to see elsewhere.
Beijing News: Is there a threshold for citizens to participate in popular science activities at the experimental station?
Li Yanming: It can be said that the science popularization activities of the experimental station have zero threshold. Shangzhuang Experimental Station is a comprehensive experimental station, including crops, agricultural machinery, processing and other industrial chain links, this line is open, equivalent to the resources of the entire school, can seamlessly support the science popularization activities to the experimental station. At the experimental station, citizens can see different crops, and they can also see crops processed into food, so as to realize the knowledge popularization of the whole industrial chain.
Beijing News: What channels can citizens who want to participate in the science popularization activities of the experimental station use to register? What are the epidemic prevention requirements?
Li Yanming: Citizens who bring their families and children to participate in science popularization activities at the experimental station can make an appointment in advance through the official account of the "China Agricultural University Agricultural Planning Service Platform" and other channels. The experimental station will arrange different teachers to carry out activities according to the specific needs of the public. In terms of epidemic prevention, in accordance with the overall requirements of Beijing epidemic prevention, enter the experimental station to carry out the relevant scanning code registration procedures.
Beijing News: Are there any paid projects for citizens to participate in science popularization activities?
Li Yanming: The venue of the experimental station is free of charge and does not charge any fees. If the public eats here, the experimental station only charges the cost price of the meal, in addition, if there are some experimental materials used, the teaching aids provided in the station are required, and the experimental station charges the cost of the corresponding materials.
Beijing News: What is the staffing of teachers participating in popular science activities?
Li Yanming: Every year, more than 20,000 people are involved in the long-term teaching and scientific research work in the experimental station, including academicians, national talents, winners of the National Outstanding Youth Fund, and chief scientists and post experts of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. It can be said that the teachers who do science popularization in the experimental station are the top agricultural experts in the country, as well as doctoral and master students of the school. The activities carried out in the experimental station will also look at the needs of the groups receiving popular science activities, match the corresponding teachers, and formulate different popular science activity plans for different groups.
Beijing News: When to carry out these popular science activities? And the scale of the undertaking?
Li Yanming: The experimental station is mainly based on open-air crops, and the frequency and cycle of science popularization activities basically follow the season of crops, mainly from spring plowing in March to autumn harvest in October, and organize relevant science popularization activities from time to time during the intensive season of farming. Shangzhuang Experimental Station is a comprehensive experimental station, including cognition, planting, agricultural machinery, water conservancy, fertilizer and food processing, etc., which can meet the needs of 300 people at the same time.
Beijing News: What popular science activities does the experimental station carry out every year?
Li Yanming: Every year, the experimental station carries out labor education, social practice, popular science visits and summer camps for primary and secondary schools in Beijing, and will also undertake some agricultural science and technology personnel training and research activities. The science popularization activities of the experimental station are mainly divided into four levels, the cognitive level, and the main science popularization of different crop knowledge; At the planting level, it mainly explains the planting of crops; At the level of plant protection and harvesting, it involves fertilization and irrigation in the agricultural production process; At the level of enjoyment and experience, there are corresponding food experience activities for crop processing.
Beijing News: What are the development plans for the experimental station in the next step?
Li Yanming: Selected as the first batch of agricultural culture practice camps, the employees of the experimental station feel the mission of further improving the supporting facilities and equipment in the base, improving the construction of the teaching team, promoting the construction of the curriculum system, and creating a series of high-quality and characteristic courses tailored for the Young Pioneers, creating a benchmarking platform for the Young Pioneers to learn the knowledge of the three rural areas and experience the farming culture, and provide strong support for the comprehensive development of the Young Pioneers and serving rural revitalization.
Beijing News reporter Geng Ziye
Edited by Zhang Shujing Proofread by Lu Qian