On the morning of February 2nd, at the "Members' Channel" held before the opening of the Fourth Session of the 13th Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Zhao Han, a member of the Jiangsu Provincial CPPCC Committee and Director of the Institute of Germplasm Resources and Biotechnology at the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, walked onto the channel holding a small golden corn cob. Under the spotlight, this corn cob, only about ten centimeters long, quickly captured the attention of the media. Behind it lies a germplasm rescue operation spanning tens of thousands of kilometers, a continuous relay of scientific research power下沉ing to the fields, and a practical pathway for a local heirloom variety to grow into a prosperous industry for the people. From the laboratory to the greenhouses of Dongbang, from the voices of committee members to the on-the-ground work of new farmers, this golden small corn is telling the story of how Jiangsu is transforming "preserving flavor" into "developing industry" and writing seeds into the future of rural revitalization.
Zhao Han appeared on the "Members' Channel" holding the golden small corn, emphasizing the need to protect the germplasm "golden seeds" and preserve the nostalgia on the people's tongues. "Why are fruits and vegetables with the taste memories of childhood becoming increasingly rare?" Zhao Han said straightforwardly. With the advancement of industrialization, urbanization, and changes in agricultural production methods, some wild resources and traditional heirloom varieties are continuously being lost, making rescue conservation extremely urgent. From 2016 to 2023, Jiangsu participated in the third national census and collection action for crop germplasm resources. Over six years, researchers累计 traveled 168,000 kilometers, collecting 3,446份 of local characteristic, rare, and endangered germplasm resources from among the people, including traditional varieties like the golden small corn from Dongbang, Changshu, and Liyang white celery.
The golden small corn is a local corn variety that has been continued for over a hundred years in Dongbang Town. It had previously experienced quality fluctuations due to long-term seed saving by farmers. Through purification, rejuvenation, and innovative improvements, the scientific research team enhanced its stability while preserving the traditional flavor, restoring its characteristics of being small and plump, golden in color, fragrant and glutinous in texture, and rich in nutrients like lutein and polysaccharides. Today, this variety has become a special local product of Changshu City and has received national geographical indication product recognition.
Zhao Han stated that Jiangsu is accelerating the construction of a comprehensive gene bank, using more advanced and intelligent technological means to preserve precious germplasm resources and cultivate new varieties with high yield, quality, and stress resistance. "We must both ensure national food security and allow the people to retain the nostalgia on their tongues, making the dining table more flavorful," he said. The golden small corn in his hand is a microcosm of the germplasm protection action and a real-world example of a scientific research成果 entering the lives of ordinary people.
Beyond the "Members' Channel," this golden small corn is entering a new production cycle in Dongbang Town. On the morning of February 2nd, reporters visited Changshu Nongyun Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., where the greenhouses were already showing scenes of preparation for early spring production. Technicians were busy with seedling management and greenhouse temperature control adjustments, laying the foundation for the upcoming spring cultivation; in the processing workshop next door, bags of vacuum-packed golden small corn were being loaded onto trucks for shipment one after another, filling the previous supply gap and allowing the golden small corn to reach people's dining tables even in the winter and spring seasons.
Li Zhongqi, inspecting the seedling conditions by the field ridge, is the most representative "new farmer" in the Dongbang golden small corn industry. After graduating with a master's degree, this "post-90s" individual chose to take root in the countryside. From experimental planting to scale promotion, he has witnessed the rebirth of a local heirloom variety empowered by technology.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with him in this endeavor is his wife, Ning Yunxia, also a master's graduate from Nanjing Agricultural University. After graduating in 2016, the young couple settled their careers at the agricultural base in Dongbang Town, Changshu, bringing their professional knowledge directly into the fields. From breeding experiments to production management, the two collaborated, gradually developing a single experimental plot into a stable planting base. "The quality was very unstable when we first started planting," Li Zhongqi told reporters. Long-term seed saving by farmers led to inconsistent corn sizes, varying maturation periods, and significant fluctuations in taste. After the intervention of the provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences team, through purification, rejuvenation, and the promotion of standardized planting techniques, the golden small corn gradually regained stable quality, preserving the traditional flavor while also meeting the conditions for commercial promotion.
In the planting环节, Li Zhongqi experimented with introducing microbial technology into field management, using beneficial microbial communities to improve the soil environment, reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers, and enhance crop resistance. The cooperative simultaneously promoted mechanization and digital management, with integrated water-fertilizer systems and temperature-humidity monitoring equipment covering the main planting areas, making production more controllable.
Technology has changed not only yield but also directly altered the income structure. In recent years, with the participation of local government and social forces, the planting scale of Li Zhongqi's cooperative has continued to expand. The core production area grew from an initial 20 mu to 140 mu, driving联动 planting in approximately 600 mu of surrounding land. The golden small corn gradually moved beyond the local market, selling to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Beijing, Shandong, and other places.
As quality stabilized and market demand grew, the golden small corn gradually transformed from a local specialty variety into a "hot commodity," with more and more farmers主动 joining the planting队伍. Under the "cooperative + farmer" organizational model, processes like harvesting, sorting, and packaging also absorbed a large number of villagers into employment close to home, creating stable casual labor income. The number of farming households participating in planting increased from initially 1 to over 50, with farmers' annual income per mu increasing by 1,500 yuan compared to previous years. "I used to work outside for a boss; now I work with the small corn, and it gets steadier year by year. I can earn money right at my doorstep, which feels secure," said villager Old Li with a smile while busy in the packaging workshop.
The extension of the industrial chain further amplified this change. Last year, through continuous摸索, Li Zhongqi set up and put into operation a small corn deep processing production line, extending the shelf life of fresh corn from a few days to 8-12 months. The annual output is expected to exceed 1 million kilograms, with sales reaching the tens of millions of yuan level. "We want to make Dongbang golden small corn a 'golden name card' for the Yangtze River Delta," Li Zhongqi introduced. The golden small corn has already entered channels like Hema and Dingdong Maicai and is reaching broader markets through e-commerce platforms.
Growing well and selling far has also become an important reason吸引ing farmers to持续投入. In Dongbang Town, this characteristic agriculture has formed a scale advantage. The total planting area for golden small corn in the town稳定s at over 4,000 mu, with a total output of about 3,000 tons, making it one of the most recognizable agricultural brands in Changshu. Last July, the National Intellectual Property Administration announced that "Dongbang Golden Small Corn" was approved as a geographical indication product and granted protection, marking the first time Changshu received national geographical indication product recognition.
From a local rural snack to a national geographical indication product, the transformation path of the golden small corn has become a real-world example of germplasm resource protection and industrial utilization.
After vacuum packaging, the Changshu Dongbang golden small corn will be shipped to all parts of the country. With young people returning home to start businesses, scientific research power下沉ing to the fields, and the parallel advancement of standardized production and brand-oriented sales, Dongbang is gradually forming a new structure of "technology + agriculture + youth." The germplasm protection mentioned by Zhao Han on the Members' Channel has now been transformed into income in farmers' pockets and the resilience of the rural industry. From the laboratory to the field, from traditional varieties to modern industry, a small corn cob connects scientific innovation with rural revitalization. Protecting germplasm resources is not just about preserving the flavors of memory; it is also about accumulating long-term competitiveness for modern agriculture. What this golden small corn represents is a microcosm of Jiangsu's agricultural scientific and technological strength taking root at the grassroots level – making the land more efficient, farmers more stable, and giving the countryside a future of sustainable development.
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