LHASA: On the winding mountain paths, Liu Liping, from the Plateau Walnut Industry Research Institute of Yangtze University in Jingzhou city, Hubei province, swiftly removed a label from her coat and carefully attached it to a newly grafted walnut branch.
Upon her arrival in Gyatsa county in Lhokha city, Xizang autonomous region, in early 2020, she was astonished by the ancient walnut trees scattered throughout the area. These millennia-old trees, totaling a remarkable 3,657, formed a unique ancient walnut grove on the plateau.
The history of walnut cultivation in Gyatsa dates back over 1,000 years. However, despite this rich history, local villagers have long struggled with the absence of scientific cultivation techniques and efficient production methods.
In the past, villagers didn’t know how to plant walnut trees properly. “We crammed hundreds of trees into a narrow space, making it impossible even to walk through. The walnut trees grew thin and small, and the nuts were unusable,” said Qi Lyu, Party branch secretary of a local village.
“Without those trees, the riverbanks were just barren land, easily buried by sand when strong winds blew,” Qi said. In March 2021, Central China’s Hubei launched its 2021-2025 science and technology pairing assistance program with Xizang. Liu joined the assistance talent team, where she devoted herself to local walnut variety selection, breeding, and cultivation management. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
