Sea buckthorn, how to make the desert green and golden?

On October 24, 2024, Wang Jian, senior engineer of the Forestry Research Institute of Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang, gave a speech entitled "Science and Technology Help the Seabuckthorn Industry to Make the Desert Green and Prosperous" at the theme session of Science Popularization China "Inherit the spirit of scientists and let the desert bloom with the light of life."

The following is an excerpt from Wang Jian’s speech:

PART1 Seabuckthorn, the ecological guardian of the desert

Seabuckthorn, widely distributed in Eurasia, is an ancient plant in the northern temperate zone. The horizontal roots of seabuckthorn are very developed and can be as long as tens of meters, which makes seabuckthorn resistant to severe cold, salinity and poor soil. Seabuckthorn trees are covered with thorns on their branches. These thorns can not only protect themselves, but also resist drought. In the desert, especially in places like the Gobi Desert where no grass can grow, seabuckthorn can grow normally under irrigation conditions. The fruit of seabuckthorn is a drupe-like berry with a strong germination ability, which can form a forest by itself. The star hairs on the leaves of seabuckthorn are also a sign of drought resistance, which can resist high temperatures. In addition, seabuckthorn is a plant with rhizobia among non-leguminous plants, which can absorb nitrogen in the air and produce nutrients for itself.

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Seabuckthorn grows naturally on the banks of desert water or rivers. Since the early 1980s, my country has started to implement soil and water conservation and arsenic sandstone control projects in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Seabuckthorn has played a significant role in controlling soil erosion and arsenic sandstone weathering. At present, soil and water conservation in the middle and lower reaches has achieved good results.

PART2 Introduction and cultivation of improved varieties of seabuckthorn

Qinghe County in Altay, Xinjiang is one of the earliest counties to plant seabuckthorn. In 2002, the state implemented the project of returning farmland to forest in Xinjiang. Since tree species grow slowly in a cold environment like Altay, forestry experts suggested that local residents plant native tree species such as seabuckthorn that adapt to cold environments. Altay is one of the birthplaces of seabuckthorn, and Mongolian seabuckthorn is widely distributed here. In the mid-1980s, there were two seabuckthorn processing factories in Altay. Later, considering that wild seabuckthorn has many thorns, small fruits, and is difficult to pick, they began to turn to the cultivation and variety screening of seabuckthorn. The Russian large-fruited seabuckthorn that we currently plant widely is a Central Asian seabuckthorn variety that originated from Mongolia and Central Asia.

In terms of the development and utilization of seabuckthorn, improved varieties are the "chip" of the development of the seabuckthorn industry. Countries around the world attach great importance to the research of seabuckthorn, especially the former Soviet Union. In the 1930s, Academician Lishavenko established a horticultural research institute in Novosibirsk and cultivated more than 30 seabuckthorn varieties. At present, there are more than 100 seabuckthorn varieties in Russia, and the varieties cultivated in the world are mainly those cultivated in Russia. In 2004, my country reached an introduction agreement with the Russian Lishavenko Horticultural Research Institute, introducing 10 seabuckthorn varieties and more than 10,000 plants, and screened and cultivated 4 improved varieties, namely Xiangyang, Altai News, Chui, and Alei Male Plant.

The picture comes from Wang Jian’s speech PPT

Why is it so important to have improved varieties of seabuckthorn? Because seabuckthorn has significant economic benefits. Wild seabuckthorn has many thorns, small fruits and thin skin, which is not suitable for processing and utilization. However, cultivated seabuckthorn varieties have large fruits, fewer thorns and thick skin, which are convenient for storage and processing, and have a higher content of effective elements. The first large-fruited seabuckthorn improved variety breeding base in Xinjiang was established in Qinghe County, with a total area of ​​1,295 mu. It has collected 44 varieties, including 5 improved varieties, which provides a material basis for the development of the seabuckthorn industry.

PART3 Technology helps the sea buckthorn industry

We have done a lot of work in the introduction and cultivation of seabuckthorn varieties, because seabuckthorn is a new thing in Xinjiang's forestry and fruit industry. Compared with traditional forestry and fruit such as apples, walnuts, and red dates that have been planted for more than 2,000 years, it has a shorter history and many technologies need to be started from scratch. We have done a lot of research work on seabuckthorn cultivation, breeding of fine varieties, pest and disease control, pruning, picking, etc., and formulated 15 technical regulations to form a complete seabuckthorn production system.

In terms of cultivation, we use modern scientific technology, especially sub-film irrigation and drip irrigation technology, to allow sea buckthorn to be grown in desert Gobi.

Before planting sea buckthorn, trenches should be dug to facilitate pipe laying and reduce evaporation. After the trenches are dug, sea buckthorn should be planted according to a certain spacing between rows and plants. Before this, people were not very clear about the planting pattern of sea buckthorn, and there were various planting densities. As a special fruit tree, sea buckthorn must have a certain spacing between rows and plants to ensure a certain yield and a good growth pattern. Through our research, we found that in the desert Gobi, a spacing of 4×1.5 meters or 4×2 meters is suitable for planting. In planting sites with better land environment, the spacing between rows and plants can be enlarged to 6 meters or more, which is convenient for intercropping. It takes three years for sea buckthorn to grow from seedlings to fruiting, and intercropping can make up for the problem of no income in the early stage.

The picture comes from Wang Jian’s speech PPT

During the cultivation process, the sea buckthorn must be shaped by the trunk. In nature, as a shrub, sea buckthorn grows naturally without a fixed shape. At the same time, its tree shape is not the type we need for fruit production. Affected by apical dominance, it will always grow upwards and will not diverge. In addition, as a shrub, it will not grow too high. Generally, the normal sea buckthorn is about 5 meters. Sea buckthorn has a strong germination ability. During the cultivation process, if the germination is not removed for two or three years, it will cause it to be closed, and we will no longer be able to enter the sea buckthorn garden, and the growth of sea buckthorn will also be affected. After pruning, the sea buckthorn garden has a good tree shape, laying the foundation for increasing production and improving growth potential.

The picture comes from Wang Jian’s speech PPT

Seabuckthorn has strong adaptability. At present, it is planted on a large scale in Altay, Tacheng, Aksu and Kezhou in southern Xinjiang, covering nearly 800,000 mu. Seabuckthorn is a dual-purpose plant for medicine and food, and has been included in our pharmacopoeia. It is one of the few plants with dual-purpose functions among trees. With the deepening of seabuckthorn research, we found that it contains 428 active substances, with high yield and significant benefits. Seabuckthorn has been included in the "third generation of fruits in the world". my country uses seabuckthorn as raw material to produce more than 20 kinds of food, health products, medicines and cosmetics. Planting seabuckthorn is an effective way to produce nutritional health products on non-agricultural land.

In addition, there are relatively few crops and tree species that can generate economic benefits in desert Gobi areas, but the entire process of the seabuckthorn industry requires labor input, from seabuckthorn cultivation, field management, weeding, pruning to picking, which also provides employment opportunities for the vast rural surplus labor force and provides a way to increase income. With the support of industry departments and the government, the seabuckthorn industry has formed a scale, opening up a good way for rural revitalization and increasing farmers' income.

Sea buckthorn, which "turns sand into gold", has become an excellent tree species resource for improving the ecological environment in Xinjiang, promoting rural revitalization, and increasing farmers' and herdsmen's income.