Chapter 1264: Chapter 1219: Enough to Change the World Chapter 1264: Chapter 1219: Enough to Change the World The experimental center of Longxi Agricultural University is not situated at the main campus. It’s located at the Southern Suburb of the Ancient Capital where the South Garden New Campus of Longxi Agricultural University stands. The name of the campus comes from South Garden Village, the locale where the school is based.

The old campus, which now sits amidst the bustling city, had acquired 300 acres of land back in the day. At that time, it was one of the top universities inside Longxi Province. Today, however, it has failed to keep up with the pace of the times.

In the past few years, with the trend of university mergers, Longxi Agricultural University consolidated with the then Ancient Capital Agricultural Technical School. On the premises of the old agricultural school in South Garden Village, an expansion of 3,000 acres was undertaken. This formed what is now the South Garden New Campus of Longxi Agricultural University.

Including the original 500 acres of the agricultural technical school, the total area of the South Garden Campus amounts to more than 3,500 acres. Besides this extent, there is an attached model farm of about 300 acres. The Xiong Dingcang Experimental Center is located at this new campus.

Nie Zhenbang was roused to enthusiasm by Xiong Dingcang. With Secretary Nie so excited, the others naturally wouldn’t say much else–who would want to dampen spirits and spoil the mood? Being senior leaders, they certainly possessed such discernment.

Traveling from the main campus of the Agriculture University to the South Garden Campus nearly spanned the entire Ancient Capital. Departing at twelve, they arrived at the South Garden Campus at one-thirty in the afternoon.

The convoy drove straight to the entrance of the experimental center. As soon as he stepped out of the car, Nie Zhenbang was stunned by the sight. The experimental center featured steel structures reaching twenty to thirty meters in height, transparent glass greenhouses, and outside the center, numerous pieces of equipment were installed. The whole experimental center covered an area of about five acres. Although Nie Zhenbang didn’t understand much about these, it was evident that they were not cheap.

He then smiled and said, “Elder Xiong, your laboratory must have cost a pretty penny.”

When the conversation turned to his laboratory, a proud smile appeared on Xiong Dingcang’s face as he nodded and replied, “Secretary Nie, I thank the central leadership for their concern and the provincial party committee for their support and care. This laboratory has a total investment of 800 million renminbi. It fully simulates the desertification environment, allowing us to obtain the most effective first-hand data right here in the lab.”

At his side, the president of the Agriculture University also chimed in, “Secretary Nie, this laboratory is named after Elder Xiong. The total construction cost was 863.27 million renminbi. It started ten years ago as a space of just over a hundred square meters. Thanks to strong support from the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Development and Reform Commission, and both the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Finance, it has been expanded over the years to its current size. The entire area now measures 3,735 square meters. The lab’s interior has been excavated to a depth of twenty meters. The lowest level mimics a desert environment, equipped with an automated climate control system capable of fully simulating the growth conditions in a desert. The Xiong Dingcang Experimental Center is among the world’s leaders in the cultivation and improvement of desert trees.”

Listening to the president’s words, Nie Zhenbang nodded in agreement, expressing his admiration, “Impressive indeed, seeing this laboratory highlights the party group of the Agriculture University’s attitude towards respecting, valuing, protecting, and recruiting talent. To produce such a world-class laboratory by tightening belts shows the far-sightedness of the people at Agriculture University. Science and education strengthen a country–it’s not just an empty phrase but something that requires earnest implementation. After a decade of investment, we are now reaping rich rewards.”

While speaking, Nie Zhenbang looked at Xiong Dingcang and asked, “Elder Xiong, do you think we could go in for a look?”

Xiong Dingcang nodded with a smile and replied, “Secretary Nie, of course. We invited you here to see the ‘Sand Control Number Five.’
Nie Zhenbang was somewhat shocked. ‘Sand Control Number Five’–this meant there were ‘Sand Control Number One’, ‘Two’, ‘Three’, and ‘Four’ that preceded it. Xiong Dingcang’s laboratory had accomplished this in just ten years, signifying that he embarked on a new generation of research every two years.

Trees, unlike shrubs, require a long time to grow before yielding results. This alone showed that Xiong Dingcang dedicated his whole heart to scientific research. Today, on his eightieth birthday, ten years ago he was already a septuagenarian–in ancient times, he would have been considered of ‘rare old age.’ Such a man deserves our respect.

Looking at Xiong Dingcang, Nie Zhenbang bowed deeply and said, “Elder Xiong, thank you for all you have done for the nation, the ethnicity, and Longxi.”

Xiong Dingcang naturally understood what this meant and quickly supported Nie Zhenbang, expressing his gratitude earnestly, “Secretary Nie, that’s too much praise. I’m not worthy of such high regard, not at all. It was the organization that nurtured me, and it’s the people who have sustained me. Doing these things is insignificant. There is an old saying, ‘If you cannot become a great minister, be a great physician.’ I, Xiong Dingcang, don’t have such great abilities; I can only deal with mud and desert. It’s you, Secretary Nie, who truly deserves admiration. Since you took office in Longxi, the economy of Longxi Province has made significant progress. This is the achievement of Secretary Nie and the provincial committee leaders.”

Nie Zhenbang also waved his hand at this moment, smiling, “Elder Xiong, once we go inside, should we change into work and sterile clothes or something like that?”

In Nie Zhenbang’s mind, entering a laboratory generally required such a process.

At this moment, however, Xiong Dingcang shook his head, “Secretary Nie, there’s no need at all. My research is in agriculture, which is all about dealing with outdoor exposure to wind and sun. If it’s too delicate, then it has no practical application value. Everything here is a simulation of the real desert environment, including microorganisms, as well as desert scorpions, lizards, ants, and so forth. I’ve transferred the entire ecological structure chain of the desert untouched. The goal is to test the survival, reproduction, and rapid growth capabilities of desert trees in the most realistic environment possible.”

Following Xiong Dingcang into the experimental center, a wave of cold hit them.

Xiong Dingcang explained on the side, “Secretary Nie, does it feel a bit strange? One might think deserts should be scorching with heatwaves. In fact, that’s not the case. Our country’s deserts are mainly concentrated in the Xibei Autonomous Region, Caoyuan Province, and Ganzhou Province, among a few others. These places are hot in summer, but the winter temperatures are also below minus ten degrees Celsius. Before constructing this laboratory, we specifically went to the desert in winter. We stayed for a month to thoroughly grasp the changes in the winter climate. These are all the most accurate climate data.”

In the most central area of the laboratory, one could see over a hundred coniferous evergreen trees with heights varying between three and five meters.

As Xiong Dingcang looked at these plants, his eyes filled with pride and love as if they were his own children. He introduced them to Nie Zhenbang, “Secretary Nie, this is Anti-Desertification No. 5. It is a new type of plant specifically improved and cultivated for growth in arid regions based on cold-tolerant coniferous trees. We use conifers because the desert regions are arid with high evaporation rates. Coniferous forests can significantly reduce evaporation. Our research found that a height of three to five meters is best for sand prevention and control. Beyond this height, the strong winds of the desert regions can easily break the trees. Below this height, the effect is not significant, not even as good as shrubbery.”

Listening to Xiong Dingcang’s introduction, Nie Zhenbang nodded slightly. The older generation of scientists was different, displaying an extremely rigorous and almost stringent attitude toward research, even with such strict requirements for the height of trees.

Nie Zhenbang was unfamiliar with these details, as each profession has its specialization. As a leader, as long as one could grasp the broader aspects, that was sufficient. He then asked, “Elder Xiong, how is Anti-Desertification No. 5 in terms of drought resistance, survival capability, and growth ability?”

On this subject, Xiong Dingcang showed an even prouder expression, “From the experiments, the results are very good. The environment completely simulates desertification. Soil composition, pH levels, salinity, and alkali content are all exactly the same as in a desert. We use a drip irrigation method. The water consumption of one tree is about 300 liters a year. The roots of Anti-Desertification No. 5 are slender and well-developed, able to quickly penetrate deep into the ground, twenty or thirty meters down. It has a strong effect on stabilizing the surrounding sand. Secretary Nie, look, these were planted last year, at a height of about one and a half meters. Now, you can’t even see the sand on the surface. It has a noticeable improvement on the soil. They grow at a rate of about one meter a year. In two years, they can reach the required height of three meters. An entire desert could be managed in just three to five years. The current issue is, these data are only from the lab and haven’t been tested in natural environments yet.”

Hearing Xiong Dingcang’s words, Nie Zhenbang also became excited. If these data were without any padding, this achievement would certainly cause a huge sensation. While it might be too much to say that it would shake the whole world, causing a stir across the country was entirely possible. After all, the plants Xiong Dingcang researched were based on domestic soil types and might not be adaptable to foreign environments. However, this wasn’t necessarily the case, as Xiong Dingcang’s research now had mature data. As long as appropriate modifications were made, adaptation could be swift.

Thinking this, Nie Zhenbang looked at Xiong Dingcang and said, “Elder Xiong, how do you plan to conduct the experiments?”

This question undoubtedly expressed Nie Zhenbang’s attitude. The meaning was clear: the provincial government had already decided to support him. It depended on the scale and requirements he had.

Xiong Dingcang pondered for a moment before answering, “Too small an experiment wouldn’t be cost-effective. Setting up the drip irrigation system, selecting water sources, and cultivating the plants are all the most labor-intensive tasks. If it’s too small, it’s not very meaningful. My idea is to conduct the experiment in the Kewu Desert, which lies at the junction between Longxi and Ganzhou. The entire desert is a fixed desert, with convenient water access around it. The total area of the desert is one hundred and thirty square kilometers. For the first phase, I want to start with an experiment covering ten square kilometers.” (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at wuxiaworld.site with your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)