"Mr. Zhao, we are all looking forward to your coming! There are many orchard management issues that we want to communicate with you face-to-face. As soon as he entered the door, Zhao Zhengyang was surrounded by fruit growers, and everyone exchanged the situation in the orchard cordially and enthusiastically. Zhao Zhengyang also actively responded to the concerns of fruit farmers.
The plan of the year lies in the spring, and the time is right for the management and maintenance of fruit trees. In order to improve the management level of fruit farmers and orchards, improve the quality of orchards, increase production and income, on April 18, Yangling Professional Farmer Management Center, Agricultural Science and Technology News and Yongshou County Fruit Industry Service Center jointly carried out a training course on "Yangling Demonstration Area Modern Agricultural Apple Variety Renewal and Quality Improvement and Efficiency Improvement Technology" in Yongshou County Vocational Education Center, and nearly 200 people from various towns and towns participated in the training.
Zhao Zhengyang, an expert in the national apple industry technology system and chief expert of the Baishui Apple Experimental Station of Northwest A & F University, was invited to "pass on the scriptures and send treasures" to the fruit farmers. On the opening day of the class, the fruit farmers threw down their farm work to "learn from the experience" and learn the "little tricks" of orchard management.
"Sanrui" came out, and the fruit farmers smiled
"Are they still planted?"
"Our 'Sanrui' apples are delicious and easy to grow, and I also invited a teacher from Xinong to be a technician. Now apples are growing well and selling well. Kou Zhijun, the person in charge of Shaanxi Jiuhe Breeding Cooperative, was overjoyed to see Zhao Zhengyang coming to teach, and was busy pulling the teacher to talk about the orchard.
Since 1997, Zhao Zhengyang has led the team to carry out the research and demonstration and promotion of key technologies for the breeding and introduction of new apple varieties and the production of high-quality fruits. "In the past, the Apple market once presented a situation of 'not many good, many bad'. In the face of serious product homogenization competition, aging growers, rising production costs and other problems, how should the apple industry transform and upgrade? This is something that scientific researchers need to think deeply about and make changes. Zhao Zhengyang said.
As one of China's major apple producing areas, how can Shaanxi break through the problem and open up a new situation in the apple industry? A change from blindly invading the "market" to "engaging in scientific research" without distraction has taken place, and a group of scientific research workers like Zhao Zhengyang have been running around in the fields all year round to make continuous efforts for the hybridization, breeding, demonstration, and popularization of new apple varieties.
In 2019, two new varieties of high-quality late-maturing apples, "Ruiyang" and "Ruixue", cultivated by Zhao Zhengyang's team, officially passed the national examination and became the first batch of apple varieties in Shaanxi Province that passed the national examination and have independent intellectual property rights. In 2022, "Ruixiang Red" passed the national approval.
According to the statistics of Yangling Xinong Ruiyang Ruixue Ruixiang Red Apple Development Federation, "Sanrui" apples have been developed on a large scale in Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Shandong, Xinjiang and other provinces and regions, and the main apple producing areas in the country have been introduced and planted, with a planting area of more than 400,000 mu, and the market price of fruits is significantly higher than that of local traditional varieties.
"Sanrui" apples have gradually become a variety that growers give a thumbs up and praise for "good". "After listening to Mr. Zhao's lecture, we are full of confidence in the development of the fruit industry. In the next step, the cooperative will combine apples with tourism to create a beautiful business card for the integration of agriculture, culture and tourism of 'Sanrui' apples. Kou Zhijun is full of confidence in this.
Recommend excellent products Fruit farmers are busy planting
"I not only grow 'Ruiyang' and 'Ruixue' apples by myself, but also lead the surrounding farmers to plant together, so that everyone can get rich together. In 2015, Kang Tianming finally decided to build a high-standard orchard in Yongshou County, plant the latest varieties of Northwest A&F University - "Ruiyang" and "Ruixue", and established Yongshou County Shenghui Ecological Planting and Breeding Professional Cooperative.
At present, the cooperative has built 150 acres of high-standard apple orchards, with a yield of about 7,000 catties per mu, and two supporting facilities for fruit storage. "The cooperative is still an experimental site for Xinong, where high-quality varieties and advanced technologies will be demonstrated, so that I can also radiate and drive the surrounding farmers to grow apples scientifically." Kang Tianming said with a smile.
At the training course, Zhao Zhengyang said that high-quality and diversification are the general trend of the development of apple varieties in the future. The development of new apple varieties in China will enter a new era of "focusing on the promotion of self-bred varieties". With the launch of a number of self-selected new varieties in China, this will be a powerful "Chinese core" for the development of China's apple industry.
In the face of new varieties and new technologies, the "last mile" from science and technology to rural areas has been opened. Zhao Zhengyang suggested that the majority of fruit farmers should plant according to the site conditions and local conditions to avoid blind follow. At the same time, it is necessary to purchase high-quality seedlings from formal channels to avoid problems such as virus diseases. According to the characteristics of varieties, the formation of supporting cultivation technology to maximize the advantages of new varieties.
After listening to Mr. Zhao Zhengyang's suggestion, as a representative of the National People's Congress and an agricultural technology specialist with "unique skills", Kang Tianming's pride in the new varieties spontaneously emerged. He said that listening to Mr. Zhao's lecture here today made me feel at ease, and I will do my best to solve the problems encountered in apple production in the surrounding villages, and contribute to the transformation and upgrading of apples, as well as the improvement of quality and efficiency.
Technical support Fruit farmers welcome a bumper harvest
"Mr. Zhao, how to manage fertilizer and water in spring?" "What happens when the quality of apples deteriorates after storage?" "When a new garden encounters a virus disease, will it be damaged again by the virus disease when it is dug up and then planted with new seedlings?"
At the end of the training, Zhao Zhengyang had a one-on-one interaction with the fruit farmers, focusing on solving the common problems faced by everyone at the moment, and "prescribing" according to local conditions. "I have left the contact information to you, and if you have any questions, please feel free to call for consultation. Zhao Zhengyang said.
There is a saying among fruit farmers in Baishui County, Shaanxi Province, "If you grow three apples, the benefits will be tripled." The skin of Ruixue fruit is yellow-green, the fruit surface is smooth and clean, the flesh is fine and crisp, sweet and sour is palatable, and the storage resistance is high; Ruiyang has bright color and good taste; Ruixiang red has a rich aroma, sweet and sour taste, excellent quality and high commodity rate.
At the training meeting, Zhao Zhengyang focused on the key points of high-quality and efficient production technology of "Sanrui" apples. He said that apple production must focus on the "three good" (good-looking, delicious, and good management), promote the "three products" (variety, quality, brand), promote the "five new" (new varieties, new technologies, new models, new mechanisms, new farmers) strategy, open up the apple "industrial chain", and realize the high-quality development of the apple industry.
The fruit farmers listened carefully and made good records, and everyone said that the training had gained a lot, and Mr. Zhao not only talked about the technology, but also taught how to plant. It also talked about the market and how to promote it. When I go back, I want to really apply the knowledge I have learned today to the cultivation and continuously improve the yield and income of apples.
"This training is so meaningful, it has increased our confidence in growing apples. After going back, we should study hard and plant apples according to local conditions, so that we can have a good harvest this year. I also hope that Mr. Zhao will have time to go to the garden to guide us so that we can plant as many apples as possible. The technical director of Shaanxi Jiuhe Planting and Breeding Professional Cooperative said.
A training class gave fruit farmers a "reassurance". At present, the fruit market is volatile, and apple practitioners continue to wait and see, "whether to advance or retreat", facing a difficult choice. Zhao Zhengyang said that the way out for apple operators in the new stage lies in improving production efficiency, fruit quality and production efficiency, and reducing production costs. It is hoped that in the future, a number of apple demonstration orchards with an income of more than one million yuan can be created, so that small apples can truly become a big industry for rural revitalization.
Reporter: Lei Jianmei and Gu Xing