Snapshots of Xinjiang's agricultural elite

By Fan Junmei: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, October 18, 2019

Zhang Zhengcai hopes to cultivate a variety of wheat with lower sugar content. [Photo by Fan Junmei / China.org.cn]

Zhang Zhengcai, 80, is a senior agronomist. He majored in cultivation in college but retired after years of working as a correctional officer. His love for agriculture never faded during his 38 years of work and instead became even stronger after he retired.

Zhang has spent all his savings and pension on cultivating a high-quality winter wheat variety. In 2015, the Xindong 50 variety he bred proved to be more high-yielding and resistant to disease, frost and lodging than other varieties. In agriculture, lodging refers to the displacement of stems or roots from their vertical and proper placement, which can cause lower yields and diminish nutrient density. Outperforming other strains of wheat in terms of flour yield and water absorption, the Xindong 50 variety was certified to be promoted in northern Xinjiang.

Zhang is now focusing on cultivating a wheat variety with lower sugar content. "I hope this can be an option for some diabetics who enjoy eating wheat products," said Zhang.

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