In the past, rural life was often described as "farmers idle in winter, machinery hibernates, busy only in summer and autumn, and half the year spent in leisure." However, recently, fruit farmers in Daning County, Shanxi Province, have been gathering in orchards during their free time to attend lectures by fruit tree experts, turning "winter idleness" into "winter busyness."
Jing Aike, a 60-year-old technician from Chuhe Village in Taigu Town, Daning County, arrived early at the training session with his pruning shears in hand. With years of experience growing Red Fuji apples, he began cultivating Ningcui apples in 2020. "Previously, Fuji apples required 'sparse planting with large canopies,' but Ningcui trees are densely planted and rely on heavy fruiting to control tree vigor. Overcrowded branches need thinning to improve airflow," Jing explained. Initially struggling with the new techniques, he produced small, astringent fruit until expert guidance helped him master Ningcui pruning methods.
This winter, Daning County's Modern Agricultural Development Center organized training sessions across five townships. Experts like Wang Linchong (senior agronomist), Li Xintian (senior agronomist from Xi’an Fruit Growers Association), and Yang Tingzhen (researcher from Shanxi Agricultural University’s Fruit Tree Institute) shared practical techniques on orchard management.
At Chuhe Village, the training was hands-on—no podiums or slideshows. Experts crouched beside trees, using branches as teaching aids. Yang Tingzhen demonstrated how to remove diseased wood: "Cut deep into healthy tissue, disinfect the wound thoroughly, and leave no stubs to prevent disease spread." Farmers asked follow-up questions, such as the best disinfectants, to which Yang replied, "Lime sulfur is cost-effective but must be diluted to 3–5° Baumé in winter."
Li Xintian circled a Ningcui tree, pointing out tangled branches: "Vigorous trees need fruiting to curb excessive growth. Prioritize retaining fruit-bearing branches and allocate sunlight and nutrients to the fruit." His advice resonated with farmers, one of whom questioned why her heavily pruned tree still bore small fruit. Li examined her branch samples and identified mixed flower and leaf buds sapping nutrients: "Remove weak flower buds to concentrate resources."
After theory sessions, farmers practiced on demo trees. Jing Aike confidently trimmed a disorderly Ningcui, marking and removing unwanted branches. Wang Linchong advised refining cut angles for faster healing. Nearby, young growers learned disease-control pruning from Yang Tingzhen, who stressed sacrificing infected wood for tree health.
In Chuhe Village’s 60-acre Ningcui cooperative demo orchard, uniformly spaced trees thrived under a "smart cloud" irrigation system. This standardized model achieved "planting in year one, shaping in year two, fruiting in year three," with an expected yield of 2,000 pounds per acre next harvest season.
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