Early summer harvest season approaches

The planting base of Jiyizhuang village in Tangtou subdistrict – located in the Hedong district of Linyi city in East China's Shandong province – is now in the middle of a bountiful harvest. Watermelons are ripening; a fresh batch of tomatoes is nearing maturity; and even the wheat fields are ready for harvest.

Watermelons in the planting base are near maturity. [Photo by Zhang Shengquan for chinadaily.com.cn]

"This planting base was originally an agricultural production site for a company, but due to mismanagement, the land lay idle," said Xue Meiying, secretary of the local Party branch.

"Now, it accommodates 10 high-temperature greenhouses, 31 interconnected greenhouses and over 100 mu (about 6.67 hectares) of arable land," she added.

During the implementation of distinctive planting practices at the base, the conventional crop planting approach was altered to suit the local conditions. With the backing of the 31 interconnected greenhouses within the base, the locals introduced a watermelon and tomato rotation system, facilitating efficient coordination in crop cultivation. This strategy is said to maximize land value and optimize resource allocation.

Tomatoes cultivated in a crop rotation system flourish in Hedong district. [Photo by Zhang Shengquan for chinadaily.com.cn]

According to Xue, among the 10 high-temperature greenhouses, six are dedicated to tomatoes and four to sweet potato seedlings. This season, they are projected to boost the village's collective income by 100,000 yuan ($13,801). (Edited by Du Xiaping)