The "cabbage revolution" -- How China is using science to feed 1.4 billion people

WUHAN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- There is nothing remarkable about the tiny cabbage seedlings growing in the fields of Jiayu County in central China.

They are barely more than rows of green tufts against the soil, too young to look anything like the firm heads that will eventually find their way onto dinner tables across the country.

Yet these modest plants tell the story of a decades-long scientific effort to develop better seeds, breed tougher varieties and make one of China's most ordinary vegetables more productive and reliable.

Known as China's "cabbage UN" for its vast collection of varieties, Jiayu in Hubei Province has become a major hub for cabbage breeding, testing and production.

The effort goes back to the 1980s, when China still relied on cabbage seeds imported from countries including Japan and the Netherlands.

"We were determined to build our own capacity and take food production into our own hands," said Qiu Zhengming, chief scientist with the Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, who works at a vegetable science and technology demonstration park in Jiayu.

Led by pioneers, including Fang Zhiyuan of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, generations of researchers set out to find a way to ensure that people in China could have fresh, high-quality cabbage throughout the year.

They started with the seed.

Scientists developed China's first cabbage hybrid, followed by disease-resistant varieties and strains suited to different growing seasons. For winter harvests, they bred varieties that could withstand the cold while producing sweeter heads.

The results have accumulated over decades. Today, more than 70 percent of winter cabbage grown in China's major winter-cabbage producing areas comes from domestic varieties, according to researchers.

"Using science and technology to improve production is important," Qiu said. "Once you have that foundation, farmers' incomes become more stable."

At Jiayu's 460-mu (about 31-hectare) vegetable science and technology demonstration park, researchers test more than 2,000 cabbage varieties each year, continually introducing and screening new ones to find those best suited to local conditions.

The experiments go beyond cabbage. Researchers are also developing new varieties of vegetables that are staples on Chinese dinner tables, including winter melon, pumpkin and Chinese cabbage.

Modern breeding techniques, including hybrid breeding and genetic technologies, are being used to improve resistance to cold and disease and to increase levels of fiber, vitamins and minerals. A nearly 100-mu area has also been established for fully mechanized cabbage production trials.

The fields themselves have become part of the experiment.

At the demonstration park, a network of digital sensors monitors weather, temperature, soil conditions, pests and diseases, as well as water and fertilizer levels.

When something goes wrong, an alert can be sent directly to a farmer's smartphone. Drones fly over the fields to monitor crop health.

The shift is giving farmers more control over their fields. Instead of relying on unpredictable weather, they can make decisions based on data.

Farmers can also order seeds directly from a researcher-managed seed bank, saving them the time and uncertainty of breeding their own varieties and helping them avoid losses caused by bad weather.

Jiayu's vegetables now reach markets across the country, including Hong Kong, Shanghai and Guangzhou. About 75,000 local farmers are involved in vegetable cultivation and their incomes have increased.

For farmer Liu Lianhong, the benefits are measured in more familiar terms. Her household income comes mainly from land-transfer payments and annual dividends from a vegetable farming company, while she also works there. These days, she is busy transplanting cabbage seedlings and clearing weeds.

What is happening in Jiayu is part of a much larger effort in China to use agricultural science to strengthen domestic food supplies.

Perhaps the best-known example is hybrid rice, pioneered by Yuan Longping. The breakthrough dramatically increased rice yields and helped China meet much of its own demand for rice.

Hubei, a major grain-producing province, is now developing high-yield, high-protein corn as an alternative that could help reduce reliance on imported soybeans. Researchers are also breeding fish with improved meat quality.

In neighboring Henan Province, scientists have developed rice varieties less prone to lodging. In Shaanxi Province, researchers have developed drought-tolerant, high-yield wheat.

Some of these agricultural technologies and varieties have also traveled beyond China, helping farmers in Central Asia and Africa increase production and incomes.

These efforts are about more than seeds, technology and yields. They are ultimately about people's lives.

"Of all the things that matter, the well-being of people matters most," Qiu said.