Spotlight on Youth Innovation in Rural China

China Agricultural University students are making waves in the rugged terrains of Guizhou Province's Bijie City, where a recent CCTV Focus Interview captured their hands-on contributions to rural revitalization. Broadcast on May 5, the program titled "实干笃行新征程 练就本领 青春作答" showcased graduate students from the university's pioneering Technology Small Yard program stationed in Longfeng Village, Salaxi Town, Qixingguan District. These young innovators, living among farmers, are bridging the gap between cutting-edge agricultural science and everyday rural practices, transforming local economies through enhanced crop yields and sustainable farming techniques.

The episode highlighted how these students, inspired by President Xi Jinping's 2023 reply to China Agricultural University Technology Small Yard participants, are "thickening their love for agriculture and honing skills to revitalize it." Daily scenes of students navigating misty mountain paths on farm tricycles to terraced fields underscored their commitment, turning theoretical knowledge into tangible rural progress.

China Agricultural University's Technology Small Yard Initiative

Launched in 2009 by China Agricultural University, the Technology Small Yard program deploys graduate students to rural frontlines, integrating research, extension services, and talent cultivation. Today, the university operates 233 such yards across China and abroad, addressing real-world agricultural challenges while training the next generation of experts. In Guizhou's Bijie, the Longfeng yard, established in March 2021 as the province's first in collaboration with Guizhou University, targets key local industries like thorn pear (Rosa roxburghii) and potatoes.

These yards function as living laboratories: students conduct soil tests, experiment with fertilizers, and develop protocols directly in farmers' fields. The model emphasizes a cycle of observation, innovation, demonstration, and scaling, ensuring technologies are farmer-friendly and economically viable.

Establishing Roots in Longfeng Village

Longfeng Village, nestled in Bijie's karst landscapes, once struggled with low potato yields around 1,100 jin per mu due to poor varieties, excessive fertilizers, and pest issues, alongside thorn pear plantations hampered by thorns, nutrient deficiencies, and inefficient pruning. The arrival of CAU students marked a turning point. Initial skepticism was rife—village Party branch secretary Lu Lu recalled villagers doubting, "You're just students; how can you farm better than us who've done it for generations?"

Undeterred, students like Jian Yiwei from CAU's Resource Utilization and Plant Protection major began with small pilots. By distributing improved potato seeds and providing step-by-step guidance on selection, fertilization, spraying, and seedling protection, they demonstrated rapid gains. One farmer, Zuo Kui, initially dismissed the seeds as oversized vegetables and ate some, but the survivors tripled his yield, prompting full adoption village-wide.

Student Life: From Classroom to Countryside

CAU students endure a rigorous rural immersion. Song Zhe, a master's student from Shandong who joined in 2024, adapted to dialect barriers, spicy cuisine, and soil-water mismatches over a year. Days start with field patrols, nutrient sampling, and villager consultations, extending to branch teaching at Longfeng Primary School and shared meals fostering bonds.

Challenges abound: harsh weather, physical labor, and initial distrust. Yet, as Song Zhe shared in the CCTV interview, "To be an agricultural student, research can't stay in labs; we must solve local problems with expertise." Successors like Ma Anzhen continue, experimenting with thornless thorn pear pollination amid open fields, embodying the program's ethos of practical devotion.

Revolutionizing Potato Cultivation

Potatoes form Longfeng's backbone. CAU teams introduced superior varieties across 2,000 mu, boosting yields from 1,100 to 1,800 jin per mu while slashing fertilizer use by 60%. Techniques include precise soil testing to avoid over-fertilization—fields showed abundant nutrients yet poor uptake due to imbalances.

• Seed selection: High-yield, disease-resistant strains distributed free to pilots.
• Fertilization: Tailored formulas reducing inputs without yield loss.
• Pest control: Integrated green methods minimizing chemicals.
• Seedling protection: Timely interventions preventing lodging (倒秧).

Villager Lu Shijiang noted reduced labor and costs, with economic ripple effects exceeding millions in added value from expanded trials.

Photo by Rumaizan Ahamed on Unsplash

Thorn Pear Innovations and Quality Leap

Thorn pear, a vitamin C-rich superfruit, benefits from CAU's "one fertilizer, two prunings, three weedings" regimen. Student Wang Yonghua pioneered micro-fertilizer (boron) applications, cluster branch pruning, and green pest control, yielding 34.9% higher output and 46.2% more vitamin C per fruit. Scaled to 3,407 mu, these protocols now define cooperative standards.

Feng Jiali from Guizhou University tackles thorns via breeding thornless variants, easing harvesting and transport losses. Understory intercropping with potatoes and chickens diversifies income, embodying ecological agriculture.

Empowering Villagers as Tech Farmers

Over 8,000 villagers trained via 11+ sessions, including Douyin videos and expert workshops. Eight "tech farmers" like Li Xingfa, who donated land for demos, radiate knowledge to 50+ households. Lu Lu praised, "The yard gives new directions to potatoes and thorn pears, fueling industry upgrades."

This creates self-sustaining cycles: farmers adopt, innovate, and train peers, amplifying impact.

Digital Frontiers: Soil-Fertilizer Large Model

Recently released by the Bijie team under head Jiang Wei, a soil-fertilizer large model offers precise nutrient recommendations. Jiang Wei envisions yard-wide adoption, extending to Hainan for globalization. This AI-driven tool exemplifies how CAU students fuse data science with agronomy.

National Resonance and Xi Jinping's Guidance

The program echoes Xi's call for youth to build功勋 on乡村振兴 stages. CAU's 233 yards align with China's 2026 rural revitalization roadmap, emphasizing ag modernization amid the 15th Five-Year Plan. Bijie's success mirrors nationwide efforts, training talents who "serve the people" through science.

Broader Impacts on Rural Revitalization

Longfeng's transformation—from poverty-prone to prosperous—boosts incomes via diversified chains: thorn pear processing, free-range chicken (跑山鸡), and eco-tourism. Village cooperatives thrive, with tech integration ensuring sustainability.

Photo by Preillumination SeTh on Unsplash

Future Horizons for CAU Students and Program

Rotating teams ensure continuity; graduates return as experts or pursue PhDs, armed with field-honed skills. Expansion to international yards (e.g., Africa, Brazil) globalizes the model. For Chinese higher education, it redefines ag training: experiential learning fostering patriotic, skilled professionals.

As Ma Anzhen affirmed, "Practice thickens love for ag; fields teach care for farmers' livelihoods." Bijie's story inspires universities nationwide to deepen rural ties.