Chapter 142 Growing sweet potatoes in greenhouses

On the weekend, the weather was fine.

Although the snow on the road has melted away, the roof is still white.

Li Weidong followed Zhou Xiaobai to the suburban Institute of Agricultural Sciences, or the Institute of Sweet Potato of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

As the name suggests, this institute mainly studies sweet potato crops.

During those three years, sweet potatoes played a great role, so how to improve the yield of sweet potatoes and their ability to resist drought became the main task of the institute.

"Uncle Zhao."

Zhou Xiaobai led Li Weidong to a room with familiarity.

The so-called research institute has a nice name, but in fact, it is no different from a rural village, with five or six bungalows, a large snow-covered field at the door, and two greenhouses next to it.

Uncle Zhao in Zhou Xiaobai's mouth is a middle-aged man in his forties wearing a shabby military coat.

"It's Xiaobai, why did you come here on such a cold day?"

Zhao Liguo raised his head and looked at Zhou Xiaobai and Li Weidong next to him with some surprise.

"Uncle Zhao, this is my colleague Li Weidong on the farm, he is quite interested in the greenhouse, so I took him to have a look."

Zhou Xiaobai introduced Li Weidong next to him.

"Hello Professor Zhao."

As early as on the way here, Li Weidong knew the true identity of this Uncle Zhao from Zhou Xiaobai's mouth.

In addition, he also has outstanding contributions to the cultivation of sweet potatoes.

A few years ago, the yield of sweet potatoes per mu was only 1,000 catties, but now, it has reached 3,000 catties.

Therefore, Li Weidong respects him from the bottom of his heart.

"Hello, little comrade."

I don't know if it's because Li Weidong is interested in the greenhouse, Zhao Liguo's gaze at him is obviously much softer.

Don't look at their research institute is also a serious institution, but because it is too poor and too hard, few of those college students are willing to come here.

In the entire research institute, the three generations of old, middle-aged and young people combined, there are only about 20 people.

This is enough for people in winter, but when the large-scale planting of sweet potatoes begins, it is not enough for one person to split into three.

Therefore, whenever he encounters a good seedling, Zhao Liguo can't help but pull it into his bowl.

Obviously, Li Weidong, who is interested in greenhouses, has entered his field of vision.

"Wait a minute, I'll take you inside the greenhouse to have a look."

Zhao Liguo put away the notes in front of him, didn't talk nonsense, didn't even pour a cup of hot water, and led the two to the greenhouse.

It is more appropriate to say that it is more appropriate to say that it is a greenhouse than a greenhouse.

The greenhouse sits on the north and faces south, and the north side is a thick earthen wall, three or four meters high, and then spreads down obliquely.

Thick straw curtains are stacked on the earthen walls of the greenhouse, and in the evening, when the sun sets, it will be covered on the greenhouse, which has the effect of keeping warm at night.

And there is a pipe sticking out of the middle of the greenhouse, which is smoking out at the moment.

Entering through the doorway, a wave of damp heat suddenly came.

At this moment, there are two people lying on the ground in the greenhouse, carefully observing the growth of sweet potatoes in the field, and recording them in a notebook.

"Teacher Zhao."

After Zhao Liguo led Li Weidong and Zhou Xiaobai in, the two of them got up from the ground quickly.

"Is it compared?" Zhao Liguo looked at the two and asked.

"It basically came out, and after the snow, the growth rate of the sweet potatoes slowed down by a third, especially near the edges, and almost stopped growing.

According to the data collected so far, the optimal growth temperature of this batch of newly cultivated sweet potatoes should be above 18 degrees.

Below 15 degrees, the growth rate will be greatly slowed down.

Below 10 degrees, you will die.

Compared to last year's sweet potato, the cold tolerance has improved by about two degrees. ”

One of the men in his thirties was holding a notebook and introducing it with a happy face.

"Twice? Yes, in addition to cold resistance, we must also make a good comparison of drought resistance, and there is also the problem of yield, every time there is an extra sweet potato, one less person will be hungry. Zhao Li said in Chinese.

"Mr. Zhao can rest assured that with this batch of newly cultivated sweet potatoes, the output will definitely increase a lot next year."

"Okay."

After Zhao Liguo finished talking to the two, he led Li Weidong and Zhou Xiaobai to walk around the greenhouse, and while shopping, he gave the two of them a detailed introduction to the growth habits of sweet potatoes and the effect of the greenhouse.

It's just that when talking about the need to burn the stove to maintain the temperature in the greenhouse, Zhao Liguo's face obviously hurts.

This is also an experimental cultivation of sweet potatoes, so it cannot be purely based on economic benefits, otherwise, it will definitely lose money.

Li Weidong looked very carefully, compared with the high-tech greenhouses more than ten meters high in later TVs, the greenhouses in front of him are undoubtedly very simple, and even the film on the top of the head has patches in many places.

It is not a steel skeleton that supports the greenhouse, but bamboo.

Inside the greenhouse, you have to bend over in many places.

"How? Isn't that interesting? ”

After almost visiting, Zhao Liguo looked at Li Weidong and asked with a smile.

"Uncle Zhao, why are you pulling people indiscriminately again?"

Zhou Xiaobai couldn't help but speak.

She knew what this Uncle Zhao was, and when she came to play, she wooed her several times.

It's just that she didn't want to do that, so she went to work on the farm after graduation.

"What do you mean by pulling people indiscriminately? Isn't my agricultural research institute better than your farm? Zhao Liguo couldn't help but kick his eyes.

"Professor Zhao, thank you for your kindness, but I graduated from middle school, so I may not be able to adapt to your work."

Li Weidong did not hesitate to expose his shortcomings.

With his academic qualifications, he came to the research institute, and at best, he did some chores and hard work.

"High school graduates? As long as you are willing to learn, I can teach you, after all, you are still young now, spend three or five years studying, and you will not suffer. ”

Zhao Liguo originally thought that Li Weidong and Zhou Xiaobai were colleagues, and they must have graduated from university, but he didn't expect that he only graduated from middle school, and if he wanted to be a researcher, he would definitely not be qualified, but if he was really motivated and studious, he would not be stingy to teach from scratch.

And the reason why he was so in a hurry was mainly because Li Weidong had just visited the greenhouse and asked those questions, which moved him.

"No, I'm fine on the farm."

Li Weidong shook his head, not that the Agricultural Science Institute is not good.

He has a game farm of his own, which can optimize seeds, so it can be said that working at the Agricultural Science Institute can maximize his own value and cultivate more and better crops for the country.

After many years, maybe you can still be an academician.

But Li Weidong is obviously not here.

"Working here, although it is a little hard, it is no problem to fill your stomach, and there are benefits for the New Year and holidays."

Talking about ideals is not successful, Zhao Liguo simply proceeds from reality.

Hearing his words, before Li Weidong could do anything, Zhou Xiaobai began to purse his lips.

When she first went to the farm, she really thought that Li Weidong's family was very difficult, and even thought that he would definitely be criticized when he brought white noodles to the farm.

But as she brought white flour and all kinds of meat again and again, she could see it.

There is no shortage of these things at all.

Once, she couldn't help but ask, and learned that the result was white noodles exchanged for wild boar meat from the black market.

She couldn't help but shake her head.

exchanging meat for white flour, I don't know if I made it or lost it.

However, after she lent her bicycle, she ate 'with peace of mind'.

As for welfare, for Li Weidong, it is even less of a problem.

She knew that the benefits prepared for the New Year on the farm were handled by Li Weidong, and she didn't know where he got such great ability.

Therefore, it is even more difficult to tempt him with benefits.

"Professor Zhao, otherwise, I'll come over and ask for advice when I'm free in the future, and just come to work."

Li Weidong saw that Zhao Liguo had repeatedly invited, and it was really difficult to refuse, so he thought of a compromise.

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

After visiting the two greenhouses, Li Weidong and Zhou Xiaobai were originally going to leave, but Zhao Liguo repeatedly kept them, so they had to let the two have lunch before leaving.

So, at noon, Li Weidong tasted the taste of boiled sweet potatoes.

Today's sweet potato, which is a real sweet potato, is the kind of white-hearted, tastes a little noodle, and is not sweet at all.

It can't be compared with all kinds of sweet potatoes in later generations.

However, it is already very good to be able to eat fresh sweet potatoes, and in most places, when harvesting sweet potatoes, they will be directly cut into slices, and after they are dried, they can be stored for a long time.

When eating, I boiled a pot of dried sweet potatoes and the whole family ate them.

Don't look at the people in the city who can't eat white noodles, they can only eat stick noodles, as if it is difficult, but compared with the countryside, there is no doubt that there is much happiness.

When it's really difficult, don't talk about dried sweet potatoes, the bark can be eaten clean for you.

Like sweet potato vines, they are also ground and eaten.

In the 80s, in Li Weidong's memory of his previous life, sweet potato vines were used to feed pigs.

But before the rebirth, many experts advocated eating green foods such as sweet potato vines under the banner of health preservation, but a group of old men and old ladies took it as the truth.

But if you really want to dig deeper, they have more or less eaten this thing when they were young.

At least, it's true that you can't eat the dead.

"Thank you today, this trip has given me a lot of knowledge."

On the way back, Li Weidong thanked Zhou Xiaobai.

"No thanks, but why don't you want to work here? I feel like you're interested in growing crops. ”

Zhou Xiaobai asked puzzledly, she had seen clearly from the side before, Li Weidong's questions were obviously not asked casually, and even asked the question of how to cultivate and optimize seedlings.

If not interested, can you ask these questions?

"You know, no matter what kind of land you are in, at the end of the day, it's still farming."

Li Weidong shook his head and said something that made Zhou Xiaobai scratch his head.

Farming, is it the same?

However, when the things promised Li Weidong were completed, she also let go of a matter.

After separating from Zhou Xiaobai in the city, Li Weidong returned to the courtyard.

After a heavy snowfall, every household started a stove.

Li Weidong didn't go to the north house, and pushed straight into his house, only to see two little guys roasting sweet potatoes around the stove.

What about the homework that you said was good?

In the morning, when Li Weidong went out, the two little guys said that the north house was cold and they couldn't reach out to do their homework, so Li Weidong let the two of them go to their own house.

When he left, the two took out their homework and studied seriously.

It's going to be fun other than homework.

"Second brother, you're back."

Seeing that it was Li Weidong who opened the door, Li Weibin ran to the desk without saying a word, pretending to do his homework.

And Li Xueru smiled sweetly at Li Weidong.

"Is your homework done?" Li Weidong asked.

"I'm done."

Li Xueru replied crisply, while Li Weibin on the other side stiffened and was dumbfounded.

Obviously, he finished writing, and Li Xueru wrote a little bit.

"Well, yes, where did the sweet potatoes come from?"

Li Weidong smiled and rubbed Li Xueru's little head melon seeds.

"My sister-in-law's brother brought it in the morning."

"Sister-in-law's brother? Gone? ”

"Gone, I secretly heard that he seemed to be here to borrow money, and then my sister-in-law didn't have any money, so she secretly cried."

"Didn't you tell Mom?"

"I said it, and then my mother gave the money to my sister-in-law, but my sister-in-law didn't ask for it."

"Hmm."

Li Weidong nodded and didn't say anything more.

But when you come back, you can ask about the situation.

Especially since he knew that Li Weimin had a physical problem, he had more sympathy for this down-to-earth and capable sister-in-law.

If you can help, you can help.

"Don't roast sweet potatoes, the second brother will cook meat for you two to eat."

Li Weidong said, and went to the outside wall to get a piece of roe deer meat.

Although most of the roe deer meat he brought back last time was hidden in the farm warehouse, he also kept a lot at home, usually cut into strips, wrapped in paper, and hung on the wall in the shade.

It's definitely no problem to eat until next year's snow.

Hearing the boiled meat, Li Weibin didn't pretend to do his homework anymore, leaned over and watched with a blank eye.

Although the meat hangs there, he and his sister rarely eat it, and usually only when Li Weidong is at home, his mother will cut some meat and stew cabbage to eat.

For this reason, he staged a meat grabbing battle with his sister every time, and as for the result, he basically lost.

What's more, the is too stingy, and the meat cut is less than one-third of the size of the second brother now.

After the meat was stewed, Li Weidong instructed the two to look at the pot, lie on the bed by themselves, cover the quilt, close their eyes, and enter the game farm.

Two acres of reclaimed fields were clearly presented in front of him.

The most eye-catching thing is undoubtedly the huge apple tree.

Since the last time he picked the fruit, Li Weidong has not invested any more energy, but what he didn't expect was that after such a long time, flower bones popped out from the branches and leaves of the apple tree.

It seems that even if you don't invest energy, you will be able to eat apples in two months.

In addition to the apple trees, the wheat in the first field was already palm-tall and green.

And half of the second field is planted with various fruit trees and herbs.

Now, the herbs planted at the beginning have also sprouted, and judging by the thickness of the leaves, it is obvious that there is no shortage of nutrients.

The remaining half was used to ripen the corn, which completed the deal with the village.

But now, it's still corn, but it's not ripe again.

In fact, there are thousands of catties of corn left in the warehouse, so he doesn't have to waste this thing at all, so naturally he doesn't need to waste energy.

Glancing at the remaining energy, just as he was pondering whether to ripen ginseng first, or then to ripen a fruit tree, there was a clear touch in his consciousness, it was someone from the outside world shaking his body.

Immediately, his consciousness returned to his body.

(End of chapter)