Protect scientific experiments

The departments of agricultural sciences should take concrete measures to protect agricultural produce while conducting scientific experiments, says an article in Guangzhou Daily. Excerpts:

The apples grown on three trees in a suburb of Qingdao in Shandong province as part of an experiment with a new type of seeds and planting techniques by Qingdao Academy of Agricultural Sciences were stolen before the scientists could harvest them. The thieves must have sold the apples in exchange for some money, but the value of the apples for scientists was far beyond what the thieves might have got.

According to the academy, the new seeds, if the experiment was successful, would have enabled apple growers to save about 3,000 yuan ($500) per mu (666.7 square meters).