LANZHOU: Ye Changlian, a businessperson from northwest China, has been planting allium mongolicum, an Asian species of wild onion, for more than a decade. With Chinese researchers’ support, this desert plant not only benefits local ecology but also helps boost the economy.
Ye lives in Minqin County of Gansu Province. Known as “sand town,” the county is an artificial oasis located between Badain Jaran and Tengger, two large deserts in China covering 85,000 square km in total. In the past, it was difficult for local people to earn a living there due to the harsh environment.
Things have changed since a research team from the Gansu Desert Control Research Institute came to visit. Based in Minqin for more than 60 years, the team has found ways for local people to reclaim land from the desert.
Yan Zizhu, a researcher at the institute, has long paid attention to the wild onion, which is widely distributed in arid desert areas in northern China. Because of its edible value and sand-fixing function, Yan believes that cultivating the onion can help the county develop more water-efficient industries, and therefore adjust the industrial structure and restore the ecosystem.
Yan’s team has been focusing on studying the onion in Minqin since 1999. Through a series of complex experiments, they found how to artificially plant allium mongolicum and raise its productivity.
Guided by the planting technology of Yan’s team, Ye has become a leading grower in the county. In 2019, the sales revenue of allium mongolicum he planted was over 20 million yuan (about 3 million U.S. dollars), helping hundreds of local people increase their income. –Agencies
