Popular Science | Using good methods to draw a "grain" landscape, from knowing how to plant to "smart" planting - Dialogue with Professor Ma Jun, a rice cultivation expert

Seeds are the chips of agriculture and the foundation of high-yield and high-quality rice. However, to fully realize the potential of a high-yield and high-quality rice variety, cultivation technology is indispensable.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, my country's rice cultivation technology has undergone great changes, making important contributions to increasing rice production. Ma Jun, doctoral supervisor at Sichuan Agricultural University, director of the Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Cultivation, and deputy leader of the Rice Group of the Cultivation Committee of the Chinese Society of Crop Science, believes that, in general, my country's rice cultivation technology has undergone four changes.

First of all, the cultivation technology has changed from traditional intensive farming to simplified cultivation, using as little manpower as possible and reducing production inputs.

The second aspect is that cultivation technology has gradually changed from a manual-based cultivation model to a mechanized and intelligent one.

The third aspect is the transformation of cultivation technology from traditional empirical and extensive cultivation methods to precise and standardized ones.

The fourth aspect is that cultivation technology has changed from simply pursuing the increase of rice yield to considering the balance of multiple objectives such as high quality, high yield, high efficiency, green and safe production of rice.

In 2003, Ma Jun came to Dongpo, Meishan, Sichuan. After the local high-standard farmland construction was completed in 2012, Ma Jun's team began rice cultivation experiments and demonstrations here. Today, the rice new variety and new technology demonstration base built by Ma Jun and his team covers an area of ​​1,500 mu, and this year will showcase 79 new varieties and 5 new technologies.

Cultivation technology research has a strong public welfare nature. When a new technology is born, experts will not only teach the technology to farmers for free, but often spend their own money and energy to promote it.

In decades of production practice, Ma Jun realized that cultivation technology is an urgent need for farmers. Whenever he sees farmers using newly developed technologies and their yields increase, Ma Jun feels happy from the bottom of his heart. For him, although this work is hard, it also allows him to reap the joy of cultivation research in the field of hope.

Producer | Zhan Zhao Cheng Weihong

Reporter | Song Yajuan, Xie Yun, Xiao Chunfang

Videographer | Xiao Chunfang and Li Jin

Coordination | Xu Qin

Copywriting | Xu Wanyi (internship)