Chapter 137 I am a farmer, so why should I be afraid of farming?Tianyu No. 1 emerged out of nowhere and rose from the northwest region, gradually expanding its planting area amid doubts and denigration. It did not attract widespread attention until it advanced into the Huanghuai, Haihe and Northeast regions. Some people say that to surpass your opponent, you must first study your opponent. Tianyu No. 1 will undoubtedly lead a breeder imitation show. Criminals will also make trouble with fake seeds, seed packaging and other aspects. In less than two years, Tianyu No. 1 will be flooded with counterfeit and inferior seeds just like Zhengdan 958. That's why Guo Yang decided to lower the price. This year, Tianyu No. 1 has already made sufficiently generous profits, and its marketing network and transportation logistics have also grown rapidly in actual operations. There may still be a gap between Tianhe and Denong in the layout of seed production bases and production plants. Denong's annual corn seed production capacity is 2 million jin, and Tianhe will not be able to catch up in a short period of time. However, Denong also has its shortcomings. Its R&D capabilities are not strong, Zhengdan 958 is not its only business, and there is a clear gap between the variety and Tianyu No. 1.
What's more, Denon has three teammates who hinder him from time to time, compete with each other, produce seeds illegally, and copy and paste brands. The price of seeds has been falling year by year, and at its lowest it could even be sold at a magical price of 3 yuan per catty. Tianyu No. 1 has obvious varietal advantages. This year, the planting area is over million. When the harvest season comes, farmers will make money and will naturally spread the word. Things will only get hotter next year! There is no reason for Tianhe not to seize the opportunity to compete for market share. It is time to change the king of corn seeds. …… In 1936, Du Chun was born into a peasant family in Henan Province on the bank of the Yellow River. When I was a child, the land in my hometown was barren and mostly saline-alkali land. The villagers could not harvest much food after working for a year. Hunger was his first lesson in life. During the difficult years, with the simple dream of producing more grain and having enough food to eat, Du Chun embarked on the road of corn breeding. Breeding work is boring and tedious, with no rest time all year. The seeds are sown in Henan Province in June, and in November it is time to go to Hainan for further breeding. I stayed in Hainan for 6 months, with sweat pouring down my clothes under the scorching sun and enduring mosquito bites under the light, compiling the test data. They lived in a thatched hut, had no water or electricity, collected firewood to cook, and ate pickled cabbage. Mosquitoes are flying and rats are fighting. What’s even more distressing is that when heavy rains and typhoons occur, the young seedlings are destroyed, but there is nothing we can do and we can only start all over again. He did this for 23 years, breeding in the south and raising in the north, rain or shine. In the past 23 years, several hybrid corn varieties have been bred, but a few years ago, my country approved more than 100 corn varieties every year. His variety can only be regarded as a small regional variety, with no obvious increase in production or income, and low promotion value. It's hard to let go of the emotions.
So after retirement, he still traveled back and forth, staying on the front line of breeding. Finally in 2000, he bred Zhengdan 958, his masterpiece, which was recognized by the country and farmers. It's time to take a break now! Do not! He was still not satisfied and he had a new goal. Sterile seed production has always been a pain point in domestic corn breeding. Don’t say it’s too late, the sky is still full of sunset glow. He was traveling around as usual. He heard about Tianyu 1 when he was doing experiments in Zhangye last year, but he was so absorbed in his research at that time that he did not pay much attention to it. But this year, Tianyu No. 1 has emerged as a dark horse, with the potential to soar into the sky, and various industry media are reporting on it. Just like his Zhengdan 958, it became popular all over the country! What is even more shocking is the yield promotion of Tianyu No. 1, 3000 kilograms per mu? In addition to Tianyu No. 1, Xianyu 335 also comes into view. The retail price stands out from the crowd, the unique variety advantage, and the hot demand in the consumer market. After learning the details, I was shocked! Is Tianyu No. 1 a sterile seed production method? Regardless of whether it was false advertising or not, he was full of curiosity and began to study the breeding routes of Tianyu No. 1 and Xianyu 335. Tianyu No. 1 has applied for intellectual property protection, and he disdains to take any shortcuts. Xianyu 335 is simple. Although it has passed the national review, it has not been given intellectual property protection. Its parent can be obtained from various channels. Maybe this is also the reason for the high price, taking advantage of the time difference of counterfeiting to make profits first. Scientific research is the exploration of the unknown world. It often takes 7-8 years, or even longer, to cultivate an excellent variety. The hot sales of Tianyu No. 1 set off a copycat show in the breeding industry. Many scientific research institutions and universities have followed suit. Soon, the breeding ideas of Tianyu No. 1 and Xianyu 335 were revealed. If Zhengdan 958 promotes the research direction of corn breeding in my country, it is the shift from sparsely planted large-ear varieties to densely planted medium-ear varieties. Then, Tianyu No. 1 takes corn planting one step further, taking compact plant shape as the research direction and emphasizing stress resistance and adaptability. Increase density by cultivating ideal plant types and achieve high yields by relying on the group. In the past, this was considered an outlier in the breeding world and contrary to the mainstream direction. Close planting would encounter various problems and was despised by many people. However, the high and stable yield of Tianyu 1 proves that this idea is feasible. Close planting can expose the "killer" genes that are harmful to production in corn in advance, and then breeders can quickly adjust and screen them... The variety's resistance and adaptability will naturally improve. Many breeders hurriedly changed their approach and followed suit, changing their previous thinking of relying on extending the growing period and increasing plant height to increase yield. It has to be said that the hot sales of Tianyu No. 1 have activated a stagnant pool of water. …… After several twists and turns, Du Chun met the boss of Tianhe Seed Company, a young man who was a little too young in the breeding industry.
He easily obtained the parental material of Tianyu No. 1. Asked a soul-searching question, "Aren't you afraid that others will copy you?" "The breeding of Tianyu No. 1 was accidental. Researchers can quickly breed many similar varieties with the same father and mother, but if they want to be comparable to Tianyu No. 1..." Guo Yang didn't finish his words, leaving Du Lao plenty of room for his imagination. Du Chun thought that it would be difficult to achieve excellent results by just relying on improvements and following trends, and most of them were short-lived. But Tianhe is also generous enough. "Tianyu No. 1 is just an excellent corn variety. It has its own life cycle and cannot be a permanent solution. More excellent series of varieties are on the way." "I'll see." “Why not get involved yourself.” "Ok?" Guo Yang sent out an invitation. "Tianhe's breeding platform has been built, and we are now recruiting talents. We also want to hire Mr. Du to put his name on Tianhe and make use of his remaining energy." Du Chun shook his head and waved his hands, refusing. "I have a job, so I won't get involved, and I can't help much." "Tianhe has sufficient research and development funds." Du Chun said: "It has nothing to do with money. I'm just used to it and can't leave the land." Du Chun sighed and his eyes suddenly became sharp, "Is Tianhe's next breeding goal still a national variety?" Guo Yang smiled and said, "Not necessarily. Large varieties are good, but regional superior varieties are better able to cope with various natural conditions." "Indeed, the current atmosphere is not very good. Everyone wants to make it big, but it is not that easy." "There is still a long way to go. After so many years, the average corn yield in the United States is still nearly twice that of China." "This is a disgrace to corn breeders!" Guo Yang raised his eyebrows, "It's not just the high-yield varieties, there's also a big gap in the level of planting management." Du Chun waved his hand and prepared to leave. “Remember, when developing new varieties, you should have a national agricultural layout in mind.” “Walk more and see more.” The old man's steps were firm and his back was as sharp as a knife. Guo Yang seemed to see the shadow of his previous life: I am a farmer, so why should I be afraid of farming? (End of this chapter)