The desert ecological and economic development in Jiagu is divided into four links: sand prevention and control, ecological restoration, land consolidation, and desert industrial development. The first two stages focus on public welfare, while the last two stages pursue industry and efficiency.

The first two phases took more time and completion than the development team expected with someone's cheating.

Therefore, while Wei Ming and others are carefully caring for the hard-won desert oasis, they are also exploring the transformation of the desert oasis into fertile land.

Land consolidation is an important and extremely difficult part.

The sandy land is relatively poor, the structure is loose, the water leaks and the fertilizer leaks, and the soil aggregate structure cannot be formed, so it is not suitable for direct planting of crops.

After hard work and a lot of investment, the development team has remediated more than 30,000 acres of cultivated land with loose and breathable soil layer and suitable structure, which can just be used as a potato planting test field for Jiagu Agriculture.

Xie Kaiji first accompanied Wei Ming to visit the improved experimental field.

In order to resist wind erosion, the development team usually does not allow any bare farmland, not only is the farmland planted with shelterbelts, but even if crops have not been planted, the "green manure" milk vetch grows in the ground.

"The last crop of milk vetch has been broken and returned to the field in winter, and the combination of seaweed organic fertilizer, gypsum powder and sand has increased the organic matter in the sand a large number of them, and a cemented soil layer suitable for crop growth has been initially formed. As the planting years of crops increase, the silt and clay-rich soil layer in the soil will move downward, completely turning the desert into fertile land. Wei Ming grabbed a handful of soil and showed it to Xie Kaiji.

Xie Kaiji nodded with satisfaction.

Wei Ming continued: "The improved micro-sprinkler irrigation management system developed in cooperation with Tianye has covered this experimental field, which can use wind energy to transport water-soluble fertilizers and water to the water-needed parts of crops, and also establish a dynamic monitoring mechanism for groundwater level in accordance with the requirements of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to monitor groundwater level changes at any time......

Xie Kaiji stroked his palms and praised: "Very good! Now everything is in place, only the east wind is owed." And I've already brought the 'east wind' with me on this trip!"

......

With the current breeding level of Jiagu Laboratory, the detoxification and propagation technology of potatoes is no longer a problem.

Such a large planting base, of course, must adopt mechanized planting.

Advanced machinery and equipment had already been shipped, some imported and some domestic, costing tens of thousands of dollars, and they were carefully placed in the camp's warehouse.

With these "big guys", it is not difficult to sow potatoes.

In the standardized planting circle with 420 acres as a unit, a driver can complete the sowing of fertilizer and potato seeds at one time with a tractor worth 800,000 yuan in the head alone. Only two tractor drivers, plus two workers to assist with loading and unloading, can complete the planting of a unit in two days.

But after sowing the seeds, the follow-up care is the most laborious.

For example, it is best to keep the burial depth at 15 cm, and a certain depth can ensure sufficient moisture; for example, because it is located in the desert and the wind and sand are strong, according to local experienced farmers, it is not uncommon for the sown potatoes to grow green shoots but are completely lifted out of the ground overnight, and it is necessary to pay attention to re-burial......

However, these experienced farmers were surprised to find that this planting base and even the oasis developed were called calm! Not to mention sandstorms, there were strong winds, and at most there was a light breeze.

In this regard, Wei Ming joked, probably the wind ran to the wind farm - exactly that.

During the day, the potatoes are hydrated and fertilized by the micro-sprinkler irrigation system, and at night, the water mist is filled from time to time to moisten the budding potato seedlings, and the temperature difference between day and night is large, the light is sufficient, and the sandy loam soil is loose, all of which provide excellent conditions for the growth of potatoes.

By the time Xie Kaiji invited Li Dongliang to visit, there were already 10,000 acres of green potato leaves decorating the endless fields.

"In August, more than 30,000 acres of land are full of purple or white potato flowers, which is spectacular. Xie Kaiji raised his head and said.

The desert soil is extremely soft, and every step can leave a deep footprint. In the potato field, along the green potato rhizomes, gently pat the loose sandy soil, six or seven small potatoes are clearly visible, round and full.

"I remember an advertisement for potato chips: in a vast land, potatoes flew from the earth to the sky like cannonballs, and exploded in the air to become potato chips. Not to mention, when it comes to harvest season, you can imagine that this land is full of potatoes, and it really looks like a potato rain in the sky......"

Li Dongliang said it too vividly, as if a scene of a potato harvest appeared in front of him, and Xie Kaiji couldn't help laughing.

At this moment, Wei Ming came over and told the two that a manager from PepsiCo came to visit Xie Kaiji.

"PepsiCo, why are you visiting me now?" Xie Kaiji wondered.

Li Dongliang suddenly remembered something, and looked at the potato field: "I have a little impression that Pepsi also has a desert potato planting base in Dalat Banner, not far from our grassland pasture. I guess it's for the potatoes. ”

"Oh?"

......

Huang Yuqing, PepsiCo's agricultural program manager in China, is indeed here for Jiagu's potatoes.

In China's snack market, which has annual sales of more than $3 billion, PepsiCo's Lay's potato chips business has slowly become one of the protagonists. In order to ensure localized potato chip production, PepsiCo has built a 20,000 acre potato planting base in the desert at any cost.

However, due to the increase in sales, PepsiCo's own farms can only meet 40% of the company's potato needs in China, and the rest is still sourced from purchases.

PepsiCo doesn't plan to exist as an agricultural company, and as a professional international food company, finding a way to partner with local growers and let them become PepsiCo's potato suppliers is king.

However, quality suppliers are not so easy to find, and those who have the funds are not interested in agriculture, and those who are interested lack the funds or suitable land for planting.

What's more, Pepsi has quite high requirements for potatoes as raw materials. For example, potatoes should have a regular shape, shallow sprout eyes so that they are easier to clean and peel, potatoes should have a low sugar content so that they do not turn black when cooked at high temperatures, and they should be easy to store......

It's best to grow potatoes in the sand – if you grow potatoes in dirt soil, the potatoes will grow fluffy, causing them to have an irregular shape.

Therefore, as soon as he heard the news that Jiagu Agriculture was planting potatoes in the Tengger Desert, Huang Yuqing knew that PepsiCo's ideal partner was coming.

She knows that Jiagu Group has the strength to carry out modern agricultural large-scale planting, and throughout the Jiagu products, all of them are of superior quality, and there is no need to worry about not being able to meet Pepsi's requirements.

I just can't think of it......

It's okay to visit, but if you cooperate, Xie Kaiji firmly declined!

"Why, if it's a question of the purchase price, we can still negotiate ......," Huang Yuqing said sincerely.

At present, the price of ordinary potatoes is only about 600 yuan per ton, and the purchase price offered by Pepsi has reached 1,100 yuan per ton, which is undoubtedly very attractive to farmers, but for Xie Kaiji, he refuses without even thinking about it.

Xie Kaiji only deduced that the potatoes planted by Jiagu Agriculture had been booked, and as for the cooperation with Pepsi, there was no plan in this regard for the time being.

Huang Yuqing left in a huff, but she did not intend to give up at all, especially after visiting the excellent potatoes in the Jiagu potato planting base, the determination to promote cooperation with Jiagu Agriculture was even stronger - go back and let the head office come forward to promote the cooperation between the two companies from the group level.

Li Dongliang also saw this and laughed gloatingly.

Xie Kaiji rubbed his forehead helplessly: "Pepsi's vision is really good!"

"Huh?"

"You know, there are varieties of potatoes that are suitable as vegetables, and there are varieties that are suitable for processing. ”

"The two varieties we have cultivated, one is a medium-early maturing variety, which has a high yield of fried potato chips, a golden and uniform color, a strong sense of appetite in appearance, and a crispy and delicious taste, which is better than Pepsi's habitual 'Atlantic' variety, and is a very good processed variety, and the other has a dry matter content of 30%, starch of more than 20%, large and neat tubers, excellent edible quality, shelf-stable, and very suitable for processing into whole flour ......."

"I don't care if Pepsi knows this or not, but with such a sharp weapon in hand, why don't we use it ourselves, expand the potato processing industry chain, and launch our potato products with the help of Jiagu's brand influence?"

"That makes sense!" Li Dongliang agreed, "but Pepsi probably won't give up easily to seek cooperation." ”

Xie Kaiji pouted: "If the cow doesn't drink water, can it still be forced to press its head?" Not to mention Pepsi, by the way, your pasture hasn't been 'circled' yet?"

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