Zhong Caihong: "Lamp Burner" on the way of kiwifruit Science and Technology to Poverty Alleviation

In the scenic Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, there is a kiwifruit garden. Every October, strings of kiwifruit hang all over the branches, which can always attract tourists.

On June 30, Zhong Caihong, a researcher at the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the main garden of the National kiwifruit Germplasm Resources Garden, was awarded the title of "Outstanding Party member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2016".

This year is the 24th year that Zhong Caihong tied the knot to kiwifruit research. She has traveled around the fields in poor mountainous areas for many years. With the tenacity and persistence of Hunan people, she has won a beautiful report card: in the past ten years, the total planting area of various new varieties of kiwifruit in Wuhan Botanical Garden has reached 210000 mu, supporting efficient production technology radiation of 680000 mu, and the cumulative output value has reached more than 10 billion yuan.

Three generations of people "relay" to cultivate new varieties

In this world's largest kiwifruit germplasm resources nursery, new varieties such as "Jinyan", "Donghong" and "Jintao" have been born. It is also the technological source of the domestic kiwifruit industry, and a large number of new varieties and technologies flow out here.

In 1992, Zhong Caihong graduated from Hunan Agricultural University and joined Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences to work in kiwifruit research. Zhong Caihong thought it was reasonable because she majored in fruit trees in college. In 2006, Zhong Caihong, 38, was invited by the Wuhan Plant Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to study under researcher Huang Hongwen, chairman of the kiwifruit working group of the International Society of Horticulture and currently director of the national kiwifruit germplasm resources nursery. Responsible for kiwifruit breeding and cultivation research and transformation of scientific and technological achievements.

"at that time, I worked at the Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences for 14 years, and I had a lot of work on hand, and I didn't hesitate to leave. However, the Chinese Academy of Sciences is a 'temple' in the hearts of grass-roots researchers, and the platform is even larger for kiwifruit scientific research and promotion. " Zhong Caihong said.

"kiwifruit is a perennial vine, and it takes at least ten years to cultivate a new variety, so there are only a handful of domestic breeding research institutions that can survive." Zhong Caihong said, for example, that the star variety "Jinyan" is the first interspecific hybrid cultivated by independent research and development, with large fruit type, yellow flesh, good taste, excellent storage resistance, long shelf life, and edible both soft and hard, breaking through the limitation that only soft fruits can be eaten in traditional varieties, but this variety has lasted for more than 20 years from research to national variety approval.

"these are the painstaking efforts and achievements of three generations of scientific research. Fruit tree breeding is a relay sport that needs to be persisted for a long time. " Zhong Caihong sighs that now she and her team are also making a new batch of innovative kiwifruit germplasm, "as a stepping stone for the next generation to produce excellent varieties."

Ignite the spark of Pujiang

Pujiang County, Sichuan Province is recognized as the best germplasm region of kiwifruit in the world. In 2010, "Pujiang kiwifruit" was officially recognized as a national geographical indication protection product. At present, Pujiang kiwifruit planting area is nearly 100000 mu, which is the largest high-quality yellow meat kiwifruit production base in the world.

But who would have thought that ten years ago, Pujiang only sporadically planted a few hundred mu of kiwifruit, but also because of investment fraud, leaving a mess of kiwifruit industrialization. Ordered in the face of danger, Zhong Caihong simply packed his bags and rushed to Pujiang non-stop. But the situation in front of her is far more complicated than she expected: introduced varieties are protected by New Zealand patents and cannot be planted without authorization at all; the local kiwifruit industry lacks overall and effective planning, technical standards and professionals, and everything has to start from scratch.

In the face of difficulties, Zhong Caihong did not flinch. With the strong support of the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhong Caihong decided to introduce "Jinyan" for demonstration planting. Under Zhong Caihong's devotion and careful care, the yield per mu of the demonstration field reached 800jin in the first fruit period in the second year, stable yield per mu in the fourth year was about 4000 jin, and the profit per mu could be as high as 40,000 yuan.

A single spark quickly becomes a prairie fire. As of 2016, the "Jinyan" area of growing kiwifruit in China has reached 170000 mu.

Make the farmers really rich.

Pujiang's great success has made more poor mountainous areas know the charm of poverty alleviation through science and technology. In the following years, Zhong Caihong and his team successively established kiwifruit demonstration bases in poor counties such as Sichuan, Guizhou, Anhui, Henan, Hunan, and Hubei, and became a "kiwi fruit" for local farmers to shake off poverty and become rich.

There is such a detail: in 2010, when Zhong Caihong went to class in Pujiang, even the aisle was crowded with farmers who came to attend the class. Most of these spontaneous fruit growers came in suits and Audi cars. Zhong Caihong said, for example, that at that time, a fruit farmer in Pujiang planted 20 mu of "Jinyan" at a price of 12 yuan per jin, and he earned 500000 yuan a year. At that time, he realized his "dream of building a new house, buying a new car, and getting a wife."

Some people describe Zhong Caihong as a "lantern burner" on the road of kiwifruit science and technology to help the poor, igniting themselves and illuminating farmers' road to wealth.