Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 205: Watermelon Planting

[Today's Intel: Continuous cropping should be avoided for watermelons. Old farmers often say, "Rotate your watermelon fields, and they'll get sweeter every year." Behind this is an unseen war between the crop and the soil...

Zhou Village has 1,220 mu of arable land, averaging one mu per person. Among this, the 400 mu in the eastern part of the village have been continuously cropped for many years. The soil suffers from pathogen proliferation and nutritional imbalance, and the damage is deeply rooted and difficult to reverse.

The 820 mu of land in the western part of the village can be treated with high-temperature plastic film mulching, which can raise the temperature of the 20 cm tillage layer to over 55°C, achieving a sterilization rate of over 90%. Using a microbial agent package containing seven functional microbial groups, including Trichoderma and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, is like inoculating the soil with a "vaccine" to rebuild its micro-ecological balance...]

"Hm?"

Today's intel was very detailed.

But Li Xu didn't quite understand it.

He didn't know much about agriculture.

'Crop rotation for watermelons...'

After washing up, Li Xu went online to do some research.

He discovered that continuously planting watermelons on the same piece of land led to many 'crises'.

The most direct threat came from the rampant proliferation of specialized pathogens in the soil.

Fusarium wilt is a typical example. This pathogen can invade the vascular bundles through wounds in the root system, blocking water transport like a clogged straw.

In an authoritative paper, Li Xu saw the following data:

In watermelon fields continuously cropped for three years, the incidence of Fusarium wilt can exceed 60%, whereas in rotated fields, it is only around 5%.

What's more troublesome is that these pathogens can form chlamydospores, which can remain dormant in the soil for up to 8-10 years, making them difficult to eradicate with ordinary disinfection methods.

A similar situation occurs with the anthracnose fungus, which lies dormant in diseased plant debris and launches a new wave of attacks via wind and rain once the temperature exceeds 20°C the following year.

Another threat was nutrient depletion.

Watermelons have distinct preferences for nutrient absorption. For every 1,000 kilograms of fruit produced, they consume 3 kilograms of nitrogen, 1 kilogram of phosphorus, and 3 kilograms of potassium.

Continuous planting can deplete the soil of micronutrients like zinc and manganese, much like a mine that gradually becomes barren from repeated extraction.

The available zinc content in soil continuously cropped for three years drops by 42%, leading to the typical "yellowing small-leaf disease" in the plants.

At the same time, organic acids secreted by watermelon roots alter the soil's pH, causing phosphorus to become fixed in insoluble compounds. This creates a vicious cycle where "the more you fertilize, the more deficient the soil becomes."

This nutritional imbalance directly results in lower sugar content, increased fiber, and the loss of the watermelons' high-quality crisp, sweet, and juicy characteristics.

Furthermore, phenolic acid substances released during the decomposition of watermelon plant debris, such as vanillic acid and ferulic acid, inhibit the root development of the next generation of watermelon seedlings.

The concentration of these autotoxic substances in continuously cropped soil can be 6-8 times higher than in rotated fields.

This is like the botanical equivalent of "inbreeding depression," where root systems become short, thick, and sparse, reducing their absorption area by more than 30%.

Even more startling, these substances also disrupt the soil's microbial community, causing a sharp decline in beneficial actinomycetes while the proportion of harmful fungi skyrockets, creating a vicious ecological cycle.

After reading through the relevant materials,

Li Xu was lost in thought.

Yesterday, Ding Kaifang had called him to arrange a meeting in Zhouzhuang today to discuss leasing land.

The intel the system provided today was incredibly timely.

'Otherwise, if we continue planting watermelons next year,'

'we'll never get the high-quality crop we want.'

Just as he was thinking about this,

Ding Kaifang arrived.

He wore an expression of happy frustration. "Doctor Li, we need to hurry. We can't delay any longer."

"What's wrong?"

Li Xu was confused.

Ding Kaifang paced back and forth. "Ji Youyou's recommendation made our Watermelon Frost blow up ahead of schedule, and now demand is outstripping supply. I bet some pharmaceutical companies are already making their moves. If anyone determined enough looks into it, they'll be able to trace the source of our watermelons in no time. We have to get ahead of everyone else and lock down that watermelon field at Tang Mountain!"

Li Xu's expression turned serious.

'I didn't expect this kind of side effect.'

'We really do need to move faster.'

Song Sisi came in carrying a bag of steamed buns. He instructed her, "Stay at the clinic and practice your massage techniques. President Ding and I are heading out."

With that, he got into Ding Kaifang's private car.

The driver stepped on the gas, and the car sped off toward Tang Mountain on the outskirts of the city.

"I've been looking into the relevant materials recently," Ding Kaifang said from the back seat, taking out a stack of documents. "An agricultural cooperative really is the best option. Not only can it secure our supply of raw materials, but it can also enjoy tax breaks and government subsidies."

Li Xu took the documents and flipped through them. "That's right. And we can standardize the cultivation techniques to guarantee the quality of the watermelons."

The car drove past Tang Mountain, made a turn, and followed a three-meter-wide concrete country road to the nearby Zhou Village.

The terrain here was flat, and the soil was a deep brown, a typical sandy loam that was especially suitable for growing watermelons.

Li Xu had noticed on his last visit that almost every household in the village grew watermelons.

He had called Zhou Xiaolin ahead of time while on the road.

When they arrived, Zhou Xiaolin was at his gate to greet them.

"Boss Li, what brings you here this time?"

Zhou Xiaolin was a little puzzled.

'Didn't he already buy all the watermelons back in the summer?'

'He's not here now to return them, is he?'

"Brother Zhou, are you planning to plant black-rind watermelons again next year?" Li Xu got straight to the point.

Zhou Xiaolin shook his head and brought out a colorful brochure from the inner room. "I was just thinking of switching to these, 'trellised watermelons.' They're all the rage in the city right now."

Li Xu took the brochure. It showcased a new cultivation technique—the watermelon vines were propped up on bamboo poles, allowing the fruit to grow suspended in the air. Each one weighed only two to three pounds, with a vibrant green, patterned rind and bright red flesh when cut open.

The text next to the pictures listed selling points like "high sugar content, crisp texture, easy to sell."

These days, many households are families of three.

Plus, there's no shortage of fruit to choose from.

A single family can't finish a large watermelon.

Therefore, many people prefer to buy smaller ones.

The 'trellised watermelons,' each weighing two to three pounds, could be finished in one sitting after being cut, with no need for refrigeration. They had been popular for many years.

"The investment for this kind of watermelon isn't small," Zhou Xiaolin continued. "You have to build trellises, and the management is more labor-intensive. But I heard they can sell for three times the price of regular watermelons, so I'm planning to try planting two mu first."

Ding Kaifang and Li Xu exchanged a look. They had arrived just in time.

'If they waited until after he had already made the investment to discuss a lease, their costs would be much higher.'

"Brother Zhou," Li Xu said, putting down his teacup, his voice sincere. "We have a better proposal."

A few days ago, Ding Kaifang had registered a company called the "Harvest Farm Cooperative."

Li Xu invited Zhou Xiaolin to join the cooperative.

The cooperative would lease the farmers' land, paying them a fixed rent plus a commission based on yield. The farmers would then become employees of the cooperative, responsible for daily management and earning a salary.

A preliminary estimate suggested the annual income per mu could reach around ten thousand yuan.

Zhou Xiaolin's eyes lit up when he heard that. "Ten thousand? My black-rind watermelons only brought in a little over six thousand in the very best years..."

"And that's not all," Li Xu added. "We will provide technical support and handle the unified purchasing of agricultural supplies to lower costs. And..." He paused for a moment. "Sales won't be an issue. As long as you can grow qualified watermelons, we can absolutely sell them."

Zhou Xiaolin rubbed his rough hands together, clearly tempted. "So, what are the specific terms of the lease?"